A Hidden World - Reimagined
by 322n
Summary: Rewrite of A Hidden World. Summary in first chapter because it is too long. (might randomly update chapters to correct any mistakes, sorry for any false alarms)
1. Prologue

**Summary: They may call me weak, yet they do not understand what I have gone through. They may call me useless, yet they do not understand what I am capable of. For too long I have suffered in silence. For too long I have held myself back. Now, it is the time to rise up and free myself of the shackles that have bound me once again. The rebellion has only just begun and it sure as hell will not end here. After all, I was once chained by the world itself. But now? I am the World. For those who wish to enslave or convert me, think again. A rebel's spirit dwells within me.**

 _Day ?, After the Civil War_

 _I have lost count of the days that I have written in this journal. Even as I write this, I struggle to recall today's date. One of those human inventions, the Calendar would most certainly be helpful right now. How lucky are we, to be blessed with long lifespans to the point where we forget the days? Perhaps, our long lifespans have made us blind, as compared to humans, who treat everyday like it is the last day they are going to live._

 _Humans. The one race that every other faction sees as a lower form of existence. What were humans to them? Nothing more than fleas, that was for sure. Could the typical human harness mana and turn it into something more within mere seconds? No. Sure, there were those who were capable of doing so, but their numbers were far too few to be of any consequence. Could the typical human withstand a single spell? No, they would die almost instantly the moment a slightly lethal spell connected with them. Could the typical human possess intellect far above any human and utilize it? No, all they had managed to do with their level of intellect isn't much compared to what we have achieved. Language is a concept that they have barely managed to understand so far. So what makes them special? What makes them so special that we use them like precious resources?_

 _The answer? I have yet to fully figure out the answer to this and neither have any of my kin been able to do so, but I believe that it is because of the fact that they are not only in abundance, but they also possess something we do not, as Devils. Even I, the newly appointed Beelzebub lack this. Potential. The potential to grow. Limitless potential to grow far beyond what we could hope to achieve. The only problem is that they are not blessed with long lifespans like us. As such, that is the thing that limits them. But what if we could make it happen? What if we could bless them with long lifespans to see their potential fulfilled? I believe that the Evil Pieces are the key to this, and we have finally managed to win the fight against the Old Satan Faction after too much bloodshed._

 _Perhaps, it is finally time we start producing and distributing perhaps my greatest invention of all time en masse. After all, our numbers are in dire straits now and we cannot afford to hesitate any longer. I have personally shortlisted a few and I know that Sirzechs would probably have his own target in mind already._

 _Alas, for time is running short but I continue to write, even as Sirzechs, Falbium and Serafall approach my lab. Perhaps they are here to talk about the King Pieces that I gave them. I wonder how it ended up? After all, I did not tell them about the insane power boost it gives. Sirzechs is knocking on my door. It is time for my pen to be put down once more. Until then._

 _-Ajuka Astaroth, The New Beelzebub_

"I'll see you around, guys." Waving his hand, Akira couldn't help but let out a long sigh, even as the van fades into the horizon, in view of a beautiful sunset that Akira could appreciate if not for the fact that he wouldn't be seeing any of his friends soon. They were leaving him alone, on a lonely hill that overlooked the rest of this small town. So, this was it, huh? A new place, a new start?

"Thinking about what happens next?" Morgana casually pads around Akira, his tail waving around, waiting for his leader's next move.

"Yes. After we finish high school, then what? Do we live our life as ordinary humans? Go on to college?" Akira responds, his grip on the bag strap tightening ever so slightly. This wasn't it. There was something else, something else waiting to be discovered. It was merely hidden away from him, and Akira wishes that he still had the Third Eye to see the things that were typically hidden from his sharp eyes.

"Maybe. But we should go now. We should try and find out where we are living for the next year, and preferably before the sun fully sets. It isn't too far from here, right?" Morgana makes a valid point, as expected of the more logical being of the two. Akira nods his head, and Morgana, with surprising agility, leaps onto Akira's bag as the two of them began to walk up the hill even further. Turns out, the hill has a road only part way up, and the duo begin to make their way to the top of the hill, supposedly where their residence for the next year lies. By the looks of it, this place is not too isolated, and Akira should be able to access the town's facilities without too much trouble.

Thankfully, the walk is short and within five minutes, Akira reaches the top just as the last hint of daylight is fully gone. What appears to be an isolated shrine sits on top, it's state of maintenance apparent as indicated by the lack of fallen leaves and the condition of the shrine. The other thing that destroys the illusion of an abandoned shrine is the light that is turned on in one part of the shrine, indicating that someone was present. "So, who's the person that you are supposed to find?"

"Akeno Himejima. According to my Mother, she is a family friend whose mother supposedly saved my father before from a possession. Her family is some sort of clan." His voice hardens at the words Mother and Father, but Morgana wisely chooses to not pursue that matter. "She's also a third year, studying at the same school that I'm transferring to. We've met before, but we did not interact much."

"Oh. So that's why we are going to that shrine?" Akira nods his head once more, as he strides up the steps to the shrine with a grace that perfectly melded with his movement, his hand poised to knock the door. However, his knuckle hits nothing, just as the door slides opens to reveal a girl.

A girl would be an understatement. Akira cannot help but notice her generous assets, but he immediately makes eye contact with the girl to avoid looking rude and making a poor first impression. He is after all, a gentleman thief and first impressions are generally important. "You must be Kurusu-san?" Her voice is rather mature, and Akira cannot help but notice that there is a slight hint of mischief to it. Her violet eyes also hint that, although he can tell that it hides something more.

"Yes. You must be Himejima-san? It's been a while." He responds smoothly, his voice unwavering. Surprisingly, her face morphs into one of surprise before she puts on a smile. A warm smile. Perhaps it is because even a grown man would probably stumble in the presence of such a beauty but he did not.

"You are late, you know?" She responds, a slight hint of irritation evident, but is squashed away almost as quickly as it appears.

"Sorry, we got held up by an... incident." He responds, trying to figure out a proper word for what happened in the morning.

"We?" She appears confused, and Akira understands why.

"This is Morgana, my cat." He carries Morgana gently with two hands from his bag, before setting him down on the steps as the feline strides toward the feet of Himejima.

"You two should come in." Akira nods in understanding, walking in but not before taking off his shoes while Morgana strides in, hopping over the little barrier. It wouldn't be nice to wear footwear, especially in such a clean shrine.

Inside the shrine, Akira wasn't surprised to find a rather simple set up. This was a Washitsu room, where Himejima would perhaps entertain guests. It looks to consist of only a TV sitting in a corner of the room, while a tea table sits in the centre along with a teapot with two cups, with two mats opposite each other. Akira shifts himself into Seiza, as Himejima does the same while Morgana sits himself on his lap. "Care for some tea?"

"So, I would like to lay out a few ground rules, if you do not mind." Akira nods his head in response, and Akeno continues on. "One, please make sure you do not wear any footwear in here. Two, please do not bring anyone else here, especially anyone from the school. Only a few people are allowed, and I will show you who tomorrow." His mind processes this tibit of information, before he nods his head again. She probably has her reasons for doing so, and Akira decides to leave it that way. "Three, please make sure you clean your room regularly and take care of your own laundry." Fair enough. He has always made it a point to clean his own room, even if it is not his house. As for laundry, it wouldn't be too much of a hassle.

"Sure. I'll keep those in mind, Himejima-san." Akira responds.

"Just call me Akeno, we will be living together for the next year after all." Akeno speaks, as she gets up from her seat.

"Then call me Akira, Akeno-san." Akira has his own rebuke, and Akeno simply laughs gently at that. So far, it would appear the the raven haired beauty had a gentle personality that hid something far more behind that smile and laugh of hers.

"No problem, Akira-san. Do you mind following me now? I'll show you your room." He quickly gets up, and Morgana hops off his makeshift seat, following the two.

"This is my room, and this will be your room." As he is led out of the common room, Akeno points a dainty hand to a room, before gesturing at another. It appears that they are directly opposite each other, and he decides to slide open the door to his room. Once again, he is greeted by a simple sight. It is another Washitsu room. Built into the wall is a wardrobe, with more than enough space to fit the clothes that he brought here. In the middle is a single futon, along with what appears to be a fan that is aimed towards it. It is complete with the tatami flooring, and Akira also notices that there is a bookshelf against the wall. Perhaps he could use that for the souvenirs?

"I hope you are satisfied with your accommodations, Akira-san."

"It is more than enough. Thank you for having me." Akira responds, and he smiles back. As a result, Akeno gains a light blush on her face, which isn't that surprising to him. After all, several of his Social Links had told him that his Debonair charm was rather hard to resist.

"I hope you can wake up early tomorrow, because we need to go to school early to see the President of the Student Council to finish your transfer." Akeno quickly forces the blush down, and Akira nods his head for what has to be the sixth time today.

"I will."

"The bathroom is over there, at the end of the hallway. I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Of course." He smiles, as Akeno opens the door to her room and closes it behind her. Akira cannot help but notice that she left the faint scent of lavender behind, and he takes in the scent, before stepping into what would be his home for the next year. As soon as the door closes, his smile turns into a frown, and he looks at Morgana. "You felt it too, didn't you?"

"Yea, there's something off about her. But I can't place it." Morgana responses, his cat nature beginning to show as he prowls towards the futon and climbs onto it, lying down.

"We should think about this some other time. We have a school to attend tomorrow, and I'm rather tired." Akira responds, beginning to unpack his bag. Grabbing the necessities, he quickly heads to the bathroom. Perhaps a shower would clear his mind. After all, no one could have such a contradictory feeling of light and dark to themselves, right?

 _Monday Morning_

As his alarm blares out, Akira's bleary eyes open, his arm reaching to turn off the alarm. It may not be the loudest alarm, but it gets the job done in waking him up. Morgana however, still remains idle, stirring slightly, but performs no movement other than that. He sighs, but this is the typical behaviour of the feline that he has been living with for the past year. Now that he thinks about it, would he have to sneak Morgana into the school as well? It was highly likely, since Kuoh Academy was like other schools in terms of rules, pets weren't probably allowed there.

Grabbing what he figures would fit the typical school code and a towel, Akira slides his door open and closes it behind him without waking up the cat, headed for the bathroom. Unfortunately, he still does not have the Kuoh Academy uniform, and it wouldn't be too far-fetched to say that it would be given to him when he finalizes the transfer. The only thing he could do now is to finish up his morning routine, and hopefully there is a kitchen for him to use. Admittedly, he isn't fond of canteen food, having grown used to bringing his own food throughout his years of schooling like many others.

After he takes the quick but much needed shower to freshen him up, Akira decides that the best course of action would be checking out the rest of the shrine, given how he is awake at such a time, after all, he is awake at 6.30am, while school is only going to begin at an hour and a half later. However, the moment he steps out of his room again to begin his exploration, he immediately comes face to face with Akeno Himejima once more who is surprisingly already dressed for school.

"You're awake already? Good. Come on, grab whatever you need and we'll go now." Akira's face morphs into a face of confusion. After all, it was still too early for the school to be open. Unless his new school was an exception which was a reasonable explanation. But what other reason would Akeno want him to go to school so early?

"Why?"

"Let's just say that us being seen together would bring nothing but trouble on your first day of school." Akira smiles for a brief second, remembering his first day of school back at Shujin Academy. The rumours that had been floating around certainly caused him trouble, and being late with Ryuji certainly didn't help matters either.

"It wouldn't be anything new to me." He fires back, but is immediately met with a quick counter by Akeno who smiles gently.

"Let's just say that the students at Kuoh Academy can be a little bit zealous at times and I would not rather have you facing that on your first day of school." Akira raises an eye, but decides to not probe any further and instead chooses to accommodate her this time.

"Very well then." As he steps back into his room to get his items, Akira's eyes fall onto the sleeping cat, and he hesitates in his steps, contemplating if he should bring the feline to school with him. A second passes and the decision is made. He walks past Morgana without a sound, his footsteps silent as he grabs his bag of daily necessities, before walking out and closing the door behind him while leaving a gap that would be enough for Morgana to get through.. He prays silently that Morgana would understand what was happening, and even if Morgana wanted to stretch his legs, he could simply just walk around the shrine. Food wouldn't be an issue as well, with him having packed some canned food. It wasn't fresh, but it would do for now. As he steps out of his room, he cannot help but deadpan at the uniform that Akeno was wearing.

"What?"

 _Kuoh Academy_

"Well, this is elaborate." Akira cannot help but comment, looking at the massive academy that stood before him. Certainly, Shujin Academy had established itself as one of the better schools in the country with its facilities alone, but Kuoh Academy took it to the next level. The architecture of this massive academy was reminiscent of the Victorian style that originated from Britain, with the main school building being massive. Brick walls surround the gigantic school building, and he is sure that there is even more hidden away by the main school building, simply waiting to be discovered. In Ryuji's words, "Holy shit." would definitely be the appropriate term here. This was certainly quite the school, despite its uniform choice for the girls.

"Impressive, right?" Akira merely nods his head, as they begin to walk through the school gate. As expected, the school is deserted, but something immediately catches his eye as they walk through the courtyard. A small flash comes from one of the twin pillars near the entrance of the school building, and then a figure appears to be retreating by dashing into the building.

"Did you see that?" Turning to Akeno, he asks his question, only to be met with a confused look.

"See what?"

"There was someone there." Akira gestures at the pillar where the photographer had been hiding before. "He or she took a photo and then ran into the school building." Surprisingly, Akeno's face morphs into a pitying look.

"I'm sorry for what will happen later." Whatever will happen later, it cannot be that bad, right?

 **A/N:**

 **Washitsu Room: A type of traditional Japanese room that has tatami flooring, sliding doors used for mainly entertaining guests these days.**

 **Seiza: Seiza is a traditional formal way of sitting in Japan, and you fold your legs under your thighs to achieve this along with your ankles facing outward and your feet being in a slight V shape.**

 **Rewritten as requested, and I will take a much slower pace this time round to fully think out my ideas. I will try to not repeat the same thing that has happened last time which forced the poll, but no gurantees. Anyways, do leave a review if you guys liked this chapter, and I hope you guys liked how I rewrote this on a new perspective. I did take a whole day to think about this idea before I began writing, I will see how this goes.**

 **Songs:**

 **TheFatRat - Monody**

 **TheFatRat - Windfall**

 **TheFatRat - Oblivion**

 **TheFatRat - Jackpot**


	2. The First Day

**Responding to Reviews 101:**

 **Zuskato Zyus: I am glad you find it interesting, good sir. Pretty sure you have been here since the early stages of my fanfic writing. Good to know that my chapters still can keep you hooked. :)**

 **Rake1810: Thanks :)**

 **Midnight49: Pleasant scenes are what I find work well, since it can gradually lead into something more. Glad you liked the idea.**

 **Lilif3r19: Another reason why I am taking my time is because of school to be honest, but yeah, the progress of this fanfic is gonna come out at a slower rate but at least I can assure the quality of this fanfic.**

 **ShadowXF: I do enjoy writing this fanfic, it provides an place where I can practice my english and also write.**

 **Mo Eazy: Of course Akira is going to be human, and I do not have a Paetron. I do not have any intention of starting one up either. And racism has always been kinda a thing in DxD, especially in Devils and Fallen Angels against humans.**

 **ThoseWeirdPeople: I have no idea what that means but that probably means great something. Thanks :)**

 **blankdead: :)**

 **Cockbite: Yea, another reason why I went for the rewrite is because of my starting for the first version. It kinda loses its appeal when you read the first chapter alone, and people typically do not read much after that. Human potential is definitely something that I am intending to explore, and it is something that is going to appear much later in the fanfic. After all, the Modus Operandi has not been established yet and it will take a while to reestablish that again. For Ajuka's Summary, I won't spoil too much about it, but you're rather close to the answer. After all, the answer is one of the two evils. The only question that remains is, which of the two evils is greater? In the end, you cannot simply say that it is those who corrupted the system in the first place, when the root of the problem has always been there even before the invention of the Evil Pieces. Racism against humans has always been present. As for Akeno, I will not say much about her. Akira's backstory and his parents will be covered as we go along in this fanfic, it's one of those things that can only take its time and cannot be rushed no matter what. And the same goes for his future. I hope this answers your questions. Actually I'm joking, this probably only creates more questions lmao.**

 **kalmegi: To be honest, someone's bound to have stumbled it throughout the years. But what Ajuka doesn't know is the limits of human potential. He just knows that humans have potential, but not by how much. Hence, I found it fitting to put the journal entry in the first chapter.**

 **Tank: I will not answer for now, but the lack of power will be explained later. But I can tell you this. The lack of power has something to do with the fact that the Metaverse is a place of subconsciousness.**

 **TyykiMikk: Not gonna lie, I'm still gonna stick with my previous poll's results, because making another poll would be too troublesome. And don't worry, we are all messed up in one way or another.**

 _Day ?, Just another day at the Grigori_

 _It's been a while since I've gotten the opportunity to pen down my thoughts in this journal. We've been rather busy after the Great War, restructuring our now massive organisation to fit in all the new fallen and such. Oh boy, does it feel weird to be the one commanding all the Fallen Angels now that the war is over. Back then, I led out of necessity. The Fallen needed a figurehead; someone to look up to and I decided to be one. Never in my life I thought I would have been the one selected to continue to lead the Fallen Angels, even after the war. I thought it would be Shem or Bara who would take the mantle as the Governor of Grigori. But now, I guess a guy like me now has lesser time for experiments and theories. At least for now, things seem to have settled down and hopefully peace will reign so that I can continue with my projects._

 _Admittedly, I've been recently observing humans. A while back, I had this thought. What made it such that Father was willing to give Humans Sacred Gears and limit it to humans only? Why not other races? What makes them so special that he would go as far as to give them weapons that were capable of things that should be impossible for humans? He's probably told Michael and those who wouldn't Fall already. I guess I was just too curious, and I've spent the better half of a year cooped up in my lab after things had settled down for a bit to try and figure it out. Unfortunately, I could not come up with many possible theories and answers before Shem called me for something that "demanded my utmost attention". But still, I believe that there is something to humans that make them so special. Humans are after all, called the weakest of races. Yet, something in my gut says otherwise._

 _Maybe I should spend some time blending in with the humans. Yeah, that might help. I have narrowed it down to a single plausible theory, but it is too early to say that it is true. But if it is true, then I fear for the rest of the Supernatural World. Even without them knowing, humans probably outnumber the Three Factions as of now, and it will only grow by a large margin in the future, and there is always strength in numbers. Even if they may not be as smart or as advanced as us now, they may catch up to us one day. It sounds innocent and dare I say, stupid when you first hear it, but a deeper reflection into their "potential" may reveal something scary. Perhaps the true monsters aren't the stuff of nightmares, but humans themselves. Monsters with the capability to constantly grow and evolve without limit. That may very well be the scariest thing in existence. Even scarier than what anyone could ever imagine. The only question that remains is, is my theory correct?_

 _-Azazel, Governor of Grigori_

It would appear that the Student Council President was a strict person who liked to have everything in check no matter what, judging by her poker face and her neutral tone. Then again, this school was once an all girls school, so perhaps this kind of attitude here was needed to reinforce the school being co-ed."My name is Souna Shitori, the Student Council President and a third year. You must be the new transfer student?" Akira nods his head, even though the way she says her name is different from how Japanese would typically say their name. Family name should be spoken first before your given name, but she had done the opposite. Was she a foreigner?

"Kurusu Akira. Transfer student from Shujin Academy." He extends a hand while bowing, and Souna accepts it and shakes it. However, he feels a weird sensation that seems to be scanning him? He didn't know how to describe the sensation, but he manages to resist the urge to shudder. However, something about the Student Council President feels off, like she feels like she has darkness within her, along with a hint of frigidness. How is that even possible? He still keeps his smile though, his body not betraying him once as he detaches his hand from hers.

"I sincerely hope you do not cause any trouble here in your time here at Kuoh Academy, Kurusu-san. We may have turned co-ed recently, but it does not mean that we will not hesitate to deal with the opposite gender equally if they cause trouble." Akira nods his head at that.

"Anything else I should note?"

"Saji! Have you gotten the uniform for the new student?" Abother student stumbles out of the room, carrying two sets of uniform. He cannot help but note that they appear to custom made. How much money did the school have to have custom made uniforms? At first, he had assumed that the uniforms Akeno and Souna wore were custom made for themselves, but it would appear that it was the norm in this school.

"Here you go, Kurusu-san." There is a hint of neutrality in his voice, but there is a veil of hostility behind it which was somehow very well concealed as Saji hands him the two sets of uniforms.

"Thank you."

"You may notice that the uniforms that we provide are custom made, and due to that, we do not allow any modifications with exceptions to special cases. You may add small touches to it but anything further than that must be approved." He can probably deal with that. By the looks of it, his shoes are still usable but his pants would have to go. A shame. He really liked those pants.

"Noted. Anything else I should keep track of?"

"I'll let Saji here take it from here. He will show you around the school and inform you of the finer details. Is that fine with you?" He nods his head, and Saji gestures to the door. Walking out of the door, Saji follows suit. The moment the door closes, Saji begins to break the ice by asking a question.

"So how did you get Himejima-san to personally bring you here to finalize your transfer?"

"She's a family friend but we haven't interacted much." Akira explains, as Saji walks ahead and directs him towards the staircase. "Is there some sort of social hierarchical order here that I'm not aware of?" He decides to ask probably the most important question first. The social hierarchy in any place was always important, no matter what. Especially if you wanted to blend in.

"Oh right, you're new here. Perhaps I should explain it first."

"Please do."

"Akeno Himejima is part of the Two Great Onee-samas." Akira cannot help but raise an eyebrow at that. That title sounds rather flamboyant, if he is honest. "No one exactly knows how the title came about, but it is given to the two most beautiful girls in school. Akeno Himejima and Rias Gremory. They are not only known beauty, but also their intellect, having consistently scored rather high in their cohort. They are the most popular people of the school as a result." There seems to be respect in Saji's tone, but Akira cannot help but feel that it is nothing more than an exaggeration. Akeno was beautiful, that was for sure. But to judge them without looking at their personalities? That was something else. But then again, people would always be misguided no matter what. Then again, it is probably their choice.

"Next we have the Prince Charming of the school, Yuuto Kiba." Now that he thinks about it, Saji has not told him how Rias Gremory looks like, but he doubts that he wouldn't be able to figure things out along the way, like he always does intuitively. "He's a blonde guy, second year so you shouldn't be crossing paths with him that often."

"Lastly, there's Toujou Koneko, a first year girl who's petite appearance earned her the title of Mascot of the School. I do not know how who made up that title either, but those are the popular ones of the school. Fun fact, the four of them belong to the Occult Research Club." Ok, this school is beginning to give him a weird, fuzzy feeling. This school is weird, that's for sure. But how weird could it get? That was the question.

"Is there anyone that I should stay away from?" Instantly, Saji's face darkens, and he makes no effort to hide it.

"Yes. No matter what, please. Please stay away from the Perverted Trio." Saji looks at him with pleading eyes, and Akira's curiousity is only further intensified.

"Who are the trio?"

"They are the worst of the boys here in Kuoh Academy, gives the rest of us guys a bad reputation." Surely Saji has to be exagerrating, right? "No one knows how they got in, but they have been perverts of the highest calibre ever since they first stepped foot into the school. They always constantly peek on the Kendo Club when the female members are changing, and they always do it even though they get caught and beaten up each time they do so."

"Oh."

"I suppose that's all you really need to know about the social ladder for now. Come, I'll show you the rest of the school. Next place we're going to is the Old School Building, which is off limits..."

 _Later_

"Well, this concludes the school tour. Any question you wanna ask before you head to your class?" Akira nods his head at that. After all, he is still puzzled by the flash this morning and the pitying look that Akeno sent him afterwards. How bad could it be?

"Yeah, I have one. This morning, when we were walking into school, there was someone who took a photo of me and Akeno-san walking through the courtyard together. Any idea what that means?"

"To think that you can call one of the Great Onee-samas by her name..." Akira shrugs, ignoring that statement. After all, it wasn't that important.

"I already established the fact that we are family friends. So, are you going to answer my question?" He decides to instead continue persist in getting an answer for today's incident.

"Oh man, sorry. I really feel sorry for you. If that picture gets out, you're probably be hounded by her fans. Some of the boys in this school are quite zealous after all, especially when it comes to any matter concerning the Two Great Onee-samas. They may try and confront you." Saji's pitying look was admittedly starting to frustrate him slightly, but at least he knows the reason now. He's been given enough pitying looks after all. But still, fanboys?

As if on cue, the bell rings, and Saji begins to escort him to his class. Today was going to be troublesome. "Here's your class, 3-B. Your sensei is Shin-sensei. If you need anything, the Student Council's doors are always open." Surprisingly, it seemed that he had managed to leave a good impression on the male Student Council member, and he had a feeling that he would be seeing Saji soon. Nodding his head, he waves goodbye, before turning to face his new class.

Sona's POV

"So, what do you think of him, Sona?"Akeno giggles, but Sona ignores the sound, the human from earlier still fixated in her mind. Her eyes continue to read through his records.

 _Name: Akira Kurusu_

 _Age: 18_

 _Height: 5'9"/175 cm_

 _Weight: 132 lbs/62 kg_

 ** _Family:_**

 _Father: Genji Kurusu_

 _Mother: Hikari Kurusu_

 ** _Previous Educational Institute:_** _Shujin Academy (Year 2 Senior High School)_

 _Criminal Record: None._ _Akira Kurusu previously had a criminal record for one count of assault against Masayoshi Shido and was sentenced to a year of probation. During the last few months of his probation, Akira Kurusu was sent to a detention centre for unknown reasons but the ruling was voided afterwards by a judge, as a witness testified against Masayoshi Shido, hence proving his innocence._

 _Notes: Akira Kurusu is a quiet but well-mannered person who was misunderstood by his peers at the beginning of the year in Shujin Academy. He has consistently placed in the top 10 of the level when it comes to exams and is consistently fit._

Surprisingly, there wasn't too much information about him. He seemed like an ordinary civilian with above average intellect who got framed and served a year of Probation for nothing. But there was something missing. What did they mean by unknown reasons? One might assume that he performed another assault or something along those lines. But the wording was off. "He's hiding something under those glasses of his." She decides to speak her mind, knowing that the Queen of Rias would find someway to get on her nerves, even if she's stoic most of the time. Thankfully, the rest of the Student Council members are not present right now.

"Ah, so he fancies himself to be a gentleman with a secret? What about his potential?" A frown finds a way onto her face, as she thinks back to the person from earlier.

"He has a ridiculous amount of mana. It may surpass Tsubaki's mana reserves. I might have mistaken him for a magician if not for him being oblivious to us." Sona decides to admit what she found out earlier, as keeping such a thing a secret was pointless anyways. Rias would probably find out through Akeno. "He would make a good Bishop if he accepts. That should help Rias, I suppose?" A slight hint of regret creeps towards her heart, but she squashes it. Akira Kurusu would have definitely made a fine Bishop in anyone's peerage, with that much untapped potential.

"I'll inform Rias later. Thanks for telling, Sona." She can hear the sincerity from Akeno, and her lips curve upwards slightly.

"No problem. Anything for Rias." After all, she was a long time friend of the fellow heiress as well and did not want to see someone with such a kind heart be married to someone who didn't deserve her. "You should go to class now, Akeno. It's almost time." Nodding her head, Akeno opens and closes the door behind her, leaving Sona alone in the Student Council Room with her thoughts. Unfortunately, those thoughts were nothing more than temptations to steal the mysterious messy haired boy away from Rias and add him to her own peerage. He had so much potential after all. She sighs. She should really get to class. Maybe it would help her distract those thoughts from her class.

Akira's POV

As Akira enters what would probably be his class for the next year, he cannot help but feel a sense of nostalgia. After all, it is almost reminiscent of his second day in Shujin, and this was no different, him standing in front of the new class. The only major difference was the fact that the class was filled with girls only. But it does not matter as much. After all, he is entering this school without word of him having a criminal record floating around.

"Class, this is our new transfer student. Please introduce yourself, Akira-san." As he faces the class, he quickly analyzes the class. Surprisingly, it seems like a normal class albeit with a few empty seats here and there, if he didn't count in the fact that he is the only male present in the class. If he isn't wrong, this class is one of the better all rounder classes of the school based on the labeling of the classes.

"My name is Kurusu Akira. A pleasure to meet all of you." His voice comes out rather smooth, and he performs a Keirei* bow to end off his short but succinct introduction.

"Any questions for Kurusu-san?" He sighs internally. After all, he had been hoping that he wouldn't have to answer any questions. Giving away information about himself wasn't something that he liked, after all. Hopefully, the questions that are asked are not private.

"Which school did you transfer from?" Fair enough. Akira could answer that one easily.

"Shujin Academy in Tokyo."

"How is your hair so curly? Is it natural?" Admittedly, it was slowly becoming slightly personal now, but it was fine. He didn't see his hairstyle that big of a deal after all.

"Yes, it is natural."

"Are you single?" If he hadn't trained himself to keep his poker face up, Akira was sure that he would have choked on nothing but air upon hearing that question. Thankfully, he is still able to keep his composure, but it did nothing but trigger a wave of memories that he didn't want to deal with right now. Having to friendzone many people isn't exactly something he's proud of, but it had to be done.

"Yes." He manages to get out a quick answer, but it seems to have stirred some sort of discussion amongst the ladies in the class.

It would have appeared that his new sensei had noticed his discomfort and decided to stop the questioning session. "Alright, that's enough, all of you. Kurusu-san, please choose a seat of your liking."Akira raises an eyebrow at that, but chooses to not question it. After all, there were several seats available in the class and he was thankful that the teacher hadn't instead assigned his seat somewhere near the front. The seat that catches his eyes is second from the back row, and near the window too. Perfect.

As he begins his quick towards the seat, he cannot help but feel the gazes of the girls on him. Akira sighs internally. While the attention this time is not negative, it is still somewhat unnerving. He doesn't mind being at the center of attention, but the gazes were as if the girls were trying to dissect him with their eyes or something. "Pay attention, class!" Shin-sensei calls out, erasing his name from the board. "You all can talk to the new student during break time! Now, please start paying attention, because I will not repeat what I'm about to say..." So today's lesson was a lecture, huh? Not too bad. He could probably survive that. But he doubts his chances of survival during the break if he doesn't move fast enough. He doesn't liked being questioned, after all. His experience in Tokyo had left a rather bad memory after all.

 _Lunch Break_

As soon as the bell rings and the teacher leaves the classroom, Akira decides that a quick trip to the canteen to get something to eat before finding a quiet place to eat. Quickly grabbing his wallet, Akira manages to sneak out of the class with stealth and grace befitting of a Phantom Thief. Now, all he has to do is to get some food from the canteen real quick and find a quiet place to eat until lunch is over. Should be simple, right? As he walks past a notice board, he stops to look at it. Information is always useful, after all.

His eyes widen and his face pales slightly, as he quickly processes what is pasted on there. The photo of him and Akeno walking into school today was clearly plastered up there, along with the title "Unknown student spotted walking alongside Akeno-oneesama into school today!" Instead of panicking like any normal person would, Akira decides the only logical action right now is to do what he needs to do, and as fast as possible before other students see this. Unfortunately for him, he cannot remove it due to the fact that the notice board was locked behind a glass panel, and even if he could remove it, the people who put it there could probably put it there again.

He begins to take long strides to the canteen, quickly passing through the hallways undetected somehow. Thankfully, not many people are around due to the fact that it is only the start of the lunch break and he makes his way to the canteen with swift strides, but the situation is probably going to change soon if he does not hurry up. Grabbing what appears to be a packaged Oyakodon, Akira quickly pays for it before setting off to the first place that he can think of. The rooftop. The rooftop is probably his best bet for a quiet place, and he can only hope that the door to the rooftop is unlocked.

If what Saji said was true, he should probably try to keep his head low for the rest of the week until things settle down. Clearing the last flight of stairs, Akira hesitantly twists the shut door and sighs in relief when the knob turns all the way. Closing the door behind him, Akira relishes in the feeling of the cooling wind hitting his head and ruffling his hand. Well, at least he has a rather pleasant space to settle down until class resumes, although he doesn't doubt the fact that he will be the subject of rumours by the end of the day. After all, he has seen firsthand how fast rumours can spread. Sitting down, Akira positions himself such that he leans himself against a wall, giving him some kind of backrest. The door swings open once more, and he is not surprised when it fully opens to reveal Akeno, holding what seems to be a package of something.

"So, you're here too?" Akeno's face shifted from an unreadable face to what Akira would probably guess is her public persona upon seeing Akira. The kind, pleasant Onee-Sama kind, if the smile is anything to go by.

"Akeno." He greets. "I wasn't expecting you to be here. So why are you here?"

"I find this place rather relaxing. Anyways, it's a good place to hide from people since Souna doesn't really allow people up here." Akira raises an eyebrow at that. Being a popular figure at a school must be rather stressful. "So why are you here?"

"I prefer to be alone at times. Plus I doubt that your fans are going to stop hounding me when they see the picture on the notice board." Now that he thinks about this, Akira's glad that he can make decisions fairly quickly, otherwise, he might have trouble had he acted later. Now the question was, would he have to put his Phantom Thief skills to the test just to avoid people? Actually, did he want to? After all, was it really worth it to use his skills for something as mundane as hiding from the school population?

Akeno sighs at that. "Sorry for causing you trouble on the first day of school."

"No worries. It's not that bad. At best, this thing would have blown over by the end of the week." Akira remarks. It's not even that bad after all. He's gotten a lot of flak back at Shujin during the first few weeks of school, with Kamoshida making his first few weeks at school hard by spreading rumours of his criminal record back then. This would be no different, except that the situation that he currently in was caused by a school idol and the rumours concerned said school idol. Opening his Oyakodon, Akira begins to dig in

Akeno giggles, and Akira raises an eyebrow at that. "What's so funny?"

"Many of the boys here would probably kill just to have a civil conversation with me and eat next to me, yet you just do it like it's nothing."

"Is that a bad thing?" Akira points out while shrugging putting down his half eaten Oyakodon. After all, he already knows the answer to his question, but it was still better to hear it out from the person herself.

"No, it's not. Not many people talk to me as an equal, and it's refreshing to be able to talk to someone that's not Rias." Akeno admits, Akira nodding in understanding.

"Understandable. Fame can be quite the double-edged sword, after all." Akira decides to go with that response, remembering how Masayoshi Shido and his allies had used the growing fame of the Phantom Thieves to engineer their downfall back then, which then led to what was probably the greatest plan of all time devised by the Phantom Thieves, a plan to cheat death itself. If he had to guess, Akeno's status at the school caused her to be isolated by others due to the fact that the students saw her as someone above their level, leaving her with little to no one to talk to in a normal fashion. "But if you wish to talk to someone, I'm here."

"Thanks, Akira." Akeno sends him a sincere smile, and he cannot help but note that it is a much more pretty smile as compared to her smile when she is in that public persona of hers as he responds with his own smile.

"No problem, Akeno."

 _After School_

Avoiding people wasn't hard, especially when he put in effort. As expected, none could really keep track of him, especially when he'd used his skills for such an impractical purpose. Granted, it wasn't really needed but it was better than possibly getting into a confrontation. Now, time to get back and placate Morgana, before heading out to town to explore his surroundings. Perhaps he could eat sushi tonight to placate the feline, who was no doubt angry at him for ditching him back at the shrine.

His thoughts were suddenly jolted, as he walked through the school gate once more. Akira blinked his eyes, then narrowed them. Something wasn't right. His thoughts had been clearly focused on his intentions to explore Kuoh for the evening, and to get a change of clothes first. So why is he suddenly thinking of not coming back to the school tonight?

 ***Keirei Bow: A Keirei bow is a 30 degrees bow and it is used in situations in formal situations when you greet. (It's one of Japan's many etiquette things.)**

 **A/N: Merry Christmas to you all! I hope you guys have enjoyed your holidays so far!**

 **Yes, I decided to stop here for a few reasons. I hope you guys liked how I potrayed Akira's first day at school, and in case you're wondering why I chose to do so like this, I figured that in the end, Akira is more of a pacifist guy even though his moral compass is Chaotic Neutral/Chaotic Good and he doesn't really act up unless provoked into it. Yes, I am going to admit that I had the idea of him having a confrontation but 1, that's not how Akira typically works. He's the logical kind of guy that still actively avoids things after his year at Shujin. I figured that some habits would be hard to kick and this is merely one of those habits. 2, not gonna lie, it feels just somewhat cliche.**

 **Hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter and leave a review if you guys think that there's room for improvement or any requests that you want! Some requests will be considered. Feel free to PM me if you want. Absurd requests are obviously not allowed and dun flame. I am only a amateur at this shit.**

 **On that note, peace out people! (Also, since I highly doubt I'll be updating either this or A Lost Soul before the New Year, I wish you all a Happy New Year as well!)**

 **322n**

 **Songs:**

 **Laszlo - Airglow**

 **Laszlo - Gravity**

 **Hyper Potions & Nokae - Expedition**

 **Rixton - Speakerphone**

 **Neon Trees - Animals**

 **Illenium & Call Me Karizma - God Dammit**


	3. Discovery

**14 February, 9.28am: Fixed a few minor mistakes. Thanks to LastManStanding616 for pointing out my mistakes!**

 **17 February, 2.16pm: Made a few more fixes.**

 **Gamelover41592: Thanks, and have a happy new year too!**

 **chronotimeguard: It just seems kinda odd that they would act lovely dovely at first, unless you've got some kind of legit backstory that you have to painstakingly create which I decided to not do. And thanks for the compliment. :)**

 **Ultimate Kuuga: Probably yes. Because if you think from a logical manner, such things would not go under the radar of other Persona users, and this might result in some, let's just say interesting consequences.**

 **foxchick1: I've got some ideas planned, hope you're ready for it. :)**

 **Anon: One of the objectives that I'm trying to accomplish is to still relate back to his lifestyle as a wildcard back before the final boss so I wanna show how he juggles relationships while being involved in all that stuff, hence the pairing stuff. So yeah, there's that and hopefully it answers why I'm doing the pairing thing. Plus, it's also gonna be fun writing how Akira is going to deal with girls that can actually whip his ass if they so choose to.**

 **Cockbite: No problem. I always do respond to my readers, especially when they got questions that is within my ability to answer.**

 _Day?, Sixth Heaven_

 _I still remember that day. I didn't think it was possible at all. I couldn't believe it. We all couldn't. The angels that had amassed in front of Him for the announcement couldn't believe it. Not even me, a Seraph. And one of Heaven's strongest. I, Gabriel had just been stunned by what God had just announced. I think He knew that none of us could actually accept it in the beginning, hence we were asked to slowly ponder of the impact of the words that he uttered. And I think he was right to do so. After all, who would have expected the all-mighty God to announce the fact that humans had the potential, and would surpass them eventually, Angels who were flawless beings created by God Himself?_

 _Perhaps it was us having been created by him, but n_ _one of us could really accept it. But deep down, all of us knew that he had spoken the truth. Yet, there were those who denied the Truth. They were the ones who Fell a few days after the announcement. But even when Michael expressed his concern about them leaking the information, God's neutral face never wavered, not even for a second. "It was to be expected, young Michael." That was all He had spoken, before his lips stopped moving again. But still, to think that humans had the potential to surpass us. I am a Seraph. One of the strongest of our Kind. Yet He had said that I would be surpassed by a race that had lifespans that were as fickle as a candle? The thought was ridiculous, sure. But I don't doubt it. After all, He had only said eventually._

 _It simply meant that there was a long way before humans would eventually surpass us. But the only question was, once they surpassed us, how far could they go? How far would they grow? That is the question that has been constantly plaguing me since, and I am scared to ask God about it. Maybe I'll be able to summon the courage to ask Him one day. Until then._

 _Gabriel, A Seraph of Heaven._

"Cut it out, Morgana. I already said I was sorry." Even though Morgana's utmost wish was to become a human, the cat had already grown accustomed to his current form. Hence, he wasn't spared from the skilful strikes of Morgana the moment he opened the room to his door. Even though his skin did not bleed, it had still hurt and even now, he still felt the stinging pain of the claws from earlier. Currently, the two of them were wandering around the mall, finding a place for dinner.

"I want sushi as an apology!"

"Of course." Finding a sushi place that wasn't exactly filled was kind of tricky, given how they were at the town's only mall on a Friday, which happened to increase the amount of human traffic. Thankfully, his luck shined through for once, allowing him to find a random sushi place behind the mall. Akira couldn't help but raise his eyes slightly, noting how there were not many customers around as compared to the few other sushi places nearer to the front of the mall. Still, the sushi stand looked rather simple, with an interior that had been arranged not unlike Cafe Leblanc. There were cushioned seats facing each other with a table in the middle, up to a total of five of those set up. That was what was on the left side. The right was like a bar, only that the food items behind the counter weren't alcohol or coffee, but fish and other varieties of seafood. This must be one of those places that prioritize quality over quantity.

"Welcome to Ichiban Sushi! How may I help you, young man?" The chef who asks him appears to be an old man in his late 70s, and he cannot help but note how the Akira contemplates for a second, before deciding his pick.

"One *Omakase course please." After all, while sushi wasn't his favourite food, it was still food that still retained its appeal to him. Especially through Omakase. Plus, there was always a high chance that tuna would be served, which happened to be Morgana's favourite as Omakase tend to start with the milder flavours such as tuna.

"Very well then. One Omakase course! Please wait for a second!"

Now that he looks around the place, the fact that it is not filled to the brim with customers does a lot for its calm ambience. There are only five other customers, but they are all sitting on the cushioned sits while a waiter brings them the food. Seems like the bar is for people who eat Omakase or for those who eat alone. Seems nice enough. He should be able to feed Morgana without too much trouble. A dish of pickled ginger was placed in front of him, alongside a dish of wasabi.

"*Chutoro Tuna. Enjoy." Unsurprisingly, the first sushi is already prepared swiftly right in front of his eyes while he is lost in thought, the deft skill of the old chef proving his frail-looking appearance wrong. Clearly, he had decades of experience under his belt to be able to perform such a feat. Akira quickly analyzes the first two sushi placed in front of him. It is very simple, just a piece of perfectly cut Chutoro tuna placed onto of sushi rice and brushed with a dash of a sauce of sorts. Using the chopsticks provided, he quickly bites into the sushi. Surprisingly, it is much fattier than he had originally expected. Perhaps it was near the Otoro section?

Quickly cutting the second one into half, Akira manages to somehow deliver it to the cat in his bag without the owner noticing, eager paws snatching the food away immediately as soon as the sushi nears it. He cannot help but sigh at the antics of Morgana. Once a cat, always a cat.

Still, he cannot help but take the time to think, as he slowly chews the savoury sushi. It's been far too long since he's gotten the time to actually reflect and think back on the one last year, after all. After the events of being thrown into rehab and then getting out within a span of three days led him to spend more time than ever with his Confidants and him focusing on his studies with barely enough time for himself. It was after all, crucial for him to spend the remaining days in the company of those people who'd helped him throughout the one year.

Looking back at it now, he was glad that he'd chosen to intervene against the assault of the woman. But who would have expected him to not only be able to steal the hearts of people and reform them, but even be able to uproot one of the biggest conspiracies in the history of Japan? Along the way, he'd managed to gain people who were valuable to him. Even if they weren't here with him, their bonds still were. After all, they had stuck through life and death with him. And it was also thanks to those people that he managed to pull what was perhaps the greatest feat in his short teenage life: Cheat Death itself. After all, it wasn't every day that you let yourself be captured so that you could fool the murderer into "killing" you and then escaping from a place with heavy security. Still, Akechi was a good person, just goals merely misguided.

He'd also managed to kill a God. He killed a fucking God, of all things. And that was perhaps another feat that could be his greatest. With the culmination of his bonds, he'd managed to unseal the being that dwelled within Arsene, Satanael. And with his Ultimate Persona, he killed the God which seemed to be undefeatable with a single bullet condensed together from the Seven Deadly Sins. The feeling was exhilarating, to be able to perform a feat that no ordinary person could ever hope to do. It felt as if he was at the top of the world, even if the feeling lasted for only a few minutes.

"*Unagi. Enjoy." Nodding his head absently, he grabbed the first piece of the sushi as he continued to be absorbed in his thoughts, sinking into its depths as he slowly digested the eel. This almost reminded him of the time when he had Yusuke had ended up eating sushi after said Artist declined the offer of a prestigious Art Foundation. Unfortunately, there was no Yusuke here with his quirky mannerisms to make eating sushi much more enjoyable. Well, at least there was Morgana.

"Salmon." Splitting the sushi into half, he quickly fed Morgana stealthily. He sighed, silently of course. Morgana wasn't someone whom he could talk to during dinner in public spaces, and even though his company was welcome, it still felt odd to spend time just alone with the cat. After all, he wasn't Ryuji, with his hyped attitude and loud personality. He wasn't Yusuke, with his eccentric personality that could drive away normal people and his natural self that seemed to exude an air of mystery.

"Ebi with Bonito flakes." Consuming the next dish, Akira took his time to think about the otherworldly powers that he'd come to wield for the last year. Persona. A power gained from Awakening and rebelling against society, as far as he knew. It still felt weird, to not have the powers that he once wielded with proficiency. Apart from Persona, he had also gained a few useful powers and skills that could be applied to his daily life, such as the Third Eye, which allowed to see what laid hidden from his two eyes. Unfortunately, such powers were ephemeral as well, as they were gone after the defeat of Yaldabaoth.

Or were they? Now that he had time to think about it, those powers shouldn't have disappeared like that. After all, the vow that he had made with each and every single one of his Confidants stayed, given how they went out of his way to assist him in clearing his name. So why shouldn't his powers and skills still be present? Well, at least for the powers that could be applied to real life. He knew that he still had the ability to whip up a solid curry dish and retained the ability to talk in an eloquent manner as well. According to Igor, he was "An existence that no longer wandered alone". He would have to test this out later. It was a by far a long stretch, but the possibility of such a matter couldn't be ignored.

 _Park_

"So what are we doing here?" Morgana had chosen to get out of the bag, clearly not liking the confines of his bag.

"I need to test out something. If my thoughts are right..." Akira trails off, not exactly aware of how to fully explain his train of thought to Morgana without it sounding stupid.

"What is it?"

"I don't really know how to explain... Just tell me if my eyes change colour." According to the others, his eyes would change to a yellow colour whenever he used it, thus he tried to be discreet when using it in real life, due to how others might notice the sudden change. Surprisingly, discretion hadn't been really needed in the busy streets of Tokyo, but it was still better to be safe than sorry.

"Ok." Thankfully, Morgana chose to not push any longer, and instead sat on the ground, his curious yellow eyes peering into brown doe eyes.

Concentrating, he tried to remember the feeling of how he would have activated the Third Eye in the past. Closing his eyes, he felt the surge of something rushing within him. Is it his mana? It begins to rush through his body, then he feels some being diverted to his eyes. And Akira opens them.

"Woah!" Morgana's reaction, along with his new sight confirms the fact that The Third Eye is back. He spots the feline in front of him, a yellow hue surrounding Morgana as he begins to prowl around once again. Cranking his head, he took a look at his surroundings, noting how the surrounding air seems to be saturated with a faint bluish substance that was all too familiar to him. Mana? He is sure of it, the feeling's unmistakable. While it isn't too thick, it is apparently dense enough to form a thin layer in the immediate surroundings.

"What's the meaning of this, Joker?" He ignores Morgana, in favour of continuing his train of thoughts.

It was strange, of course. He had never seen such a sight before, even when he had gone through palaces. The only times he had seen aura dense enough to leave an aura around was when they fought against the people whose hearts they were trying to change, and when there was a residue of mana left from him casting his highest tier spells but even the spells only left even the slightest hint of mana, and he could only barely see it with his Third Eye. But this looked as if someone had cast some sort of layer magic over the area or something, coating the place in a thin layer to do something. Almost as if... It was a barrier of sorts.

There are two immediate possibilities that he can think of. One was that it was a natural thing and had always been here. It would kind of make sense more than the second. The second was that someone had done it, intentionally. He was sure that no person would cast it accidentally because the amount of control needed for such a thin veil would require a very precise and skilful hand unless there was some kind of cheat way to do so. No amateur could possibly cast it. Honestly, the former was more plausible. But it isn't a certainty, which is what is making him worry. After all, if the second one is indeed true, then who cast it? And for what purpose?

"Akira!" A swipe towards his face forces him to evade by twisting his body to his side while he subconsciously deactivates his Third Eye, the view of Morgana swiping at his face visible in full colour once more. He sighs, his muscle memory having saved him once again even if he didn't really fight in palaces anymore.

"Sorry, Morgana. I was just thinking." He quickly attempts to defuse the precarious situation that he's in right now, but Morgana's not buying it, unfortunately.

"While ignoring me for ten minutes even though I continuously called your name?"

"I'm sorry, Morgana. It's just that having the Third Eye back opened up a whole new realm of possibilities, and I needed time to think."

"Wait, what do you mean by that?" Thankfully, his answer this time seems to satisfy the feline. It was true though, just that he didn't really think too much about that topic, focusing more on his surroundings instead.

"I'm not too sure myself." Akira quickly replies with a wry grin, mentally sighing in relief. "But I'll like to keep this a secret for now. We should go back soon, Akeno's bound to have noticed our absence by now and we still have school tomorrow."

"Ok then. Sleep it is." Morgana quickly agrees as they head back to their residence for the night.

"One more thing, Morgana. Don't tell the rest yet. This matter is still mostly an unknown."

"Of course, Joker."

? POV

Her eyes narrow, upon detecting the usage of mana. This kind of skill required, it was certainly not an amateur magician who had cast it. While it does not even border even the control that she wields, it is far too impressive to be left alone. After all, such a level of control was impossibly rare. Her kind could never have such a low level of control, but few of the other races could hardly ever hope to have someone who could control raw mana in such a way. Judging by the feel of it, it is one of the parks near her, the same park where she detected a barrier being detected a few days ago.

It is not too far off, but she can't really risk investigating, or her cover would be blown. And she didn't need that, especially in a territory occupied by two Devil Peerages. If her cover was blown, she would have to face the consequences and that was a thought that she didn't even want to touch even with a ten-foot pole. After all, spying in the same territory where two siblings of the Satans were living was almost asking for a deathwish. Few could really afford to offend the two renowned siscons, and there were fates worse than death. Being caught by those two was merely one of them.

 **Line break**

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"Welcome... To the Velvet Room." Akira quickly snaps up from his sleeping position, upon hearing those words. After all, it has been far too long since he's heard those words. Blinking his eyes, he quickly takes stock of his surroundings. It is still in the same state when he and his friends had been imprisoned here once, evidenced by the lack of metal bars at the front of the cell he's in. Just ahead, the familiar oak desk sits in the centre of the space, with a certain long-nosed man and his assistant standing next to him, her petite height causing only her head to be above the oak desk. "To think that you would be able to find your way back here... How interesting..."

"Igor. Lavenza." He quickly greets, striding up towards the oak desk quickly.

"It's been a while, Trickster." The slight blush on Lavenza's face quickly fades, after she greets him.

"Take a seat. It would be rude to leave a guest of the Velvet Room standing after all." Nodding his head, he takes a seat on the chair that's opposite of Igor.

"So why am I here? Isn't my journey completed?" He decides to get straight to the point, knowing that there is no point in beating around the bush, especially with Igor.

"Ah, that is true. Ruin has been averted. But your little discovery may have just triggered something far greater."

"You mean my Third Eye?"

"That is correct. Somehow, you subconsciously knew that your powers still existed, just that you didn't know how to use them. And now that you've rediscovered it, there's no going back."

"What do you mean?"

"The world is a far bigger place than you think, Trickster. You've accidentally stumbled upon A Hidden World, and there's no going back." Akira sighed mentally. Of course, he would speak in riddles. A hidden world? That was new. But what did he mean by a hidden world? A place like the Metaverse, perhaps?

"I see. Anything else I should note?"

"Remember your vow, Trickster. The vow is much more than you think." He bit the inside of his cheeks at that. Akira always knew that the words always had held a significant meaning, but for Lavenza to raise the topic up now? That was a cause for concern. He would need to think over it, and probably let the answer reveal itself as time passed like it always did.

"Since your journey has already ended, we are unable to provide assistance any further. But know that you are always welcome as a guest of the Velvet Room." So he would have to do this without the aid of the Velvet Room? It would definitely be tougher, for sure. However, it was probably still doable, as long as he had his Personae.

"Thanks for the warning, Igor, Lavenza. One more question, Igor. Why am I suddenly able to use The Third Eye?"

"I already said it, didn't I?" So that how it was, huh? His powers never really left him, it was more of him being unable to harness the power within. He should have known. Still, he couldn't sense any of his Personae with his psyche. Igor was leaving something out, he was sure of it.

"Alas, it seems that our time has come to an end. I bid you farewell, dear guest. Until next time."

"I will be looking forward to your second Awakening, my guest." Those are the last words that he can hear, before he falls back into the sweet abyss of unconsciousness. However, a final thought crosses his mind. A second awakening?

 ***Omakase: Literally means I'll leave it up to you in Japanese. It's a type of course where you let the chef decide for you what to eat. Price can vary depending on what is served.**

 ***Chutoro: The medium fatty part of the tuna. Located at the middle section of the underbelly of the Bluefin Tuna. Is one of the more highly valued parts of the Bluefin Tuna.**

 ***Unagi: Eel**

 **A/N: Sorry for this short update, but yeah... I hope you guys understand why I chose to leave it on this. It's merely a short filler chapter, but I got stuff cooking up. I'm hoping to be able to update within the next three weeks, but my schedule might not allow it with me being a student and all. Also, if you're wondering who that mysterious POV is, you'll know soon.**

 **Hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter and leave a review if you guys think that there's room for improvement or any requests that you want! Some requests will be considered. Feel free to PM me if you want. Absurd requests are obviously not allowed and dun flame. I am only a amateur at this shit.**

 **On that note, peace out people! AND HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL CHINESE FOLKS!**

 **322n**

 _ **Songs :**_

 **Bee Gees - Stayin Alive**

 **Lyn - Dark Sun**

 **Nightcore - Angel with a Shotgun**


	4. His Justice

_**26 February, 2.44pm: Fixed a few minor errors, made a few edits and added my reasoning to why I used Satanael in Author's Notes.**_

 **Responding to reviews 101**

 **AdilPerez: If you're talking schedule-wise, I doubt I'll be able to maintain a regular schedule for updating, but I do try to update at least once a month. As for content, I do have a few things planned for this fanfic.**

 **LastManStanding616: There is a reason why I call this fanfic Reimagined. Also, thanks for pointing out my mistakes, I forgot to do spelling check before updating.**

 **TheBeatles211/Midnight49: I can wholeheartedly assure you that it's not Raynare or Kuroka. I've got a few things in mind**

 **ZukastoZyus: Akechi's misguided, to be honest. If he had a better childhood, then he probably wouldn't have done what he did. It's just the upbringing that affected him, causing his thinking to become narrow-minded.**

 **Regulus Arms: Ehhh, I am not too sure how to answer this one. I guess it really depends on their preference. It also depends on situations, such as in school and such. For the first chapter, since Akeno and Akira were talking in the positions of Landlady and Tenant when they first met, they are more formal with each other, hence san is used. When he first talks to Sona, she is talking from a position of authority as well in a more formal setting, hence san is used. Kun is used in more informal situations and can be used to address male juniors in school or when school teachers address male students, but since Akira doesn't fall under that category, san is the next best term that fits. Japan is really all about that etiquette, so yeah.**

 _"What's the matter? Are you going to simply going to watch? Are you forsaking him to save yourself? Death awaits him if you do nothing. Was your previous decision a mistake then?"_

 _"It wasn't."_

 _"Very well then. I have heeded your resolve. Vow to me. I am Thou, Thou Art I... Thou who art willing to perform all sacrilegious acts for thine own justice! Call upon my name, and release thy rage! Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to hell itself!"_

Akira's POV

 _Thursday Evening_

It's been a few days since the visit to the Velvet Room, and Akira cannot help but continuously think about the words left by Igor and Lavenza. A hidden world? Igor wasn't exactly giving him any clues, and having to integrate into Kuoh Academy meant that he had to take time to do it, time which could have been used to figure out how to use the rest of his powers. Well, at least the rumours of him and Akeno are starting to die down.

"Another day wasted, huh?" Morgana walks alongside him, his voice holding a hint of frustration as well.

"Yeah. A pity, but we've got no choice. I need to try and finish integrating into the school first before we can really do anything." As they walk back from a nearby eatery, a certain structure catches his eye. "Hey Morgana, how do you feel about going to the church?"

"I'm good. Why don't you go by yourself?" Right, Morgana never liked going to churches. Nodding his head, Akira and Morgana take their own separate paths.

 _Church_

The Church is well maintained, that he would give it. However, there are no candles lit, and the seats have a thin layer of dust, indicating that it hasn't been cleaned or used for a long time. The front of the church has a lack of an altar, which indicates that no one has been taking care of it. Seems like the church has been abandoned recently. It wasn't too much of a surprise, given how Japanese people were far more likely to worship the Shinto Trilogy than the Christian God.

Sighing, he moves to the front row, dusting the seats before settling down. Seriously, what did Igor mean by a hidden world? The way Igor said it, it was almost as if the world he spoke of was much more vast than Mementos. Mementos was akin to a deep abyss, that was for sure. Along with the disorientating layout that changed every time they went in, it was already a headache to navigate the place. And now Igor spoke of one even more vast? That was worrying for sure. And then Lavenza's words gave him much to worry as well. He knew that the vow was sacred. The words spoke of a bond that was intimate, forever linked with his soul. So what did she mean by the vow being much more than it was? Questions, so many questions he had but he had answers to none.

"I'm surprised that there are still people who come here." A nun steps out, clearly surprised by his appearance. The first thing he notes is that she is around the same age as him, perhaps even younger. "Are you here to worship?" Akira cannot help but note that despite her Japanese features, her Japanese is broken and she speaks with a different accent as if she is from a foreign country.

"Not exactly. I'm here to think." He responds, going with a partial truth. After all, he can't exactly reveal what he wants to think, or the nun is bound to think that he needs to go to a mental asylum or something. After all, who would believe that he was thinking about the advice given by a long-nosed man and a girl whose appearance was that of a child, both who resided in a room that was located between the consciousness and subconsciousness of humanity? Well, no one would really buy that tale, unless they had been there before.

"I suppose everyone has their time when they feel lost, huh?' She takes a seat next to him. "I understand how you feel. But the only thing you can really do is to move on. You should try to let life run its course, and see what God has planned for you."

"Thanks, Miss?"

"Asia. Asia Argento."

"Arigato, Argento-san."

"No need to be so formal with me. I am just a nun who believes in God."

"I should go now. Thank you for your advice." Something within him tells him to leave, and he quickly turns on the Third Eye instinctively. He hears a sudden gasp from the nun, but ignores it, in favour of looking around for the danger that his gut was telling him about. To his surprise, there are no such dangers from the four different directions. So where can they be? It was either up or down. Going with his instinct, he looks up, and he instantly sees the outline of four figures above, coming down and they land near the entrance of the church. The weirdest part is that they seem to have wings of some sort and their aura is some sort of tainted light? This wasn't good. Especially when the figures were all outlined in yellow, with one slightly more bold than the others. The Third Eye always took into account his current ability of offense and defence when analyzing enemies, and this time was no exception.

He now brings Paradise Lost after the visit to the Velvet Room, and it might come in handy right now if he ever needs to fight. The strange thing about the knife was that it was as real as it could be, and it was like an actual knife. It retained the deadly properties that it had on shadows and other opponents. Yet, Igor had assured him that the knife was incapable of being detected by metal detectors and such.

No matter. He is no doubt in danger of some sort, but as to what danger, he doesn't really know about it. All Akira knows is that he has to get out of this place and return back to Akeno's abode or he's going to end up in some sort of predicament that he doesn't want to be in. Time to put the skills he's picked up over the past year to good use. Within the next second, Akira manages to duck behind one of the church's pews a few steps away from Asia, making sure that he stops using the Third Eye before he does so, as it could potentially give him away.

Just as he does so, the church door opens, revealing four figures. "Asia. Where's the human that you were talking to earlier?" As expected, Asia panics and looks around. Meanwhile, Akira takes this time to absorb the form of the four, watching from the shadows. The lead was a scantily clad woman wearing nothing more than undergarments, probably in her early twenties or so. The most defining features, however, was the pair of black wings that were behind her. He bit his lip, as the other three newcomers had the same type of wings.

"He..he said that he should go then he disappeared, Raynare-sama." So that was her name. The others didn't really matter right now. He had to focus on getting out of here.

"Damm, that human who used magic within your barrier's good, Raynare." Wait, barrier? Was that the mana in the park he had sensed a few days ago? This was no coincidence, that was for sure. "To think he had some sort of teleporting array set up already. That must have been the small burst of mana that we felt. He's sloppy, though. Given enough time, we should be able to track it back to its source." The middle-aged man speaks up, a spear of light forming on his hand. He holds his breath for a second, knowing the full implications of it. After all, he had experiences with light based attacks.

"Erm..." Asia speaks up. He begins to move once again, slowly moving to the next pew in front of him. Just a little more...

"Yes, Asia?" He quickly pauses at that.

"I think that he did not teleport. There was no teleport circle under his feet before he disappeared."

"So he could still be here? Spread out, and find him. Don't leave any stone unturned." Shit. He didn't expect Asia to give him away, but Asia seems to be too innocent to understand what's going on. He's going to have to take a leap of faith, or they will find him soon. Phantom Thief or not, his skills can only carry him so far. Bracing himself, he prepares for a second, before digging out a random book that's probably unimportant that he finds in his bag. Aiming it at some place near the altar, he hurls it and pauses all motion for a second.

"There!" One of them shouts, and the others fly towards where the book landed, wings beating. Now! Akira makes a run for it, making sure to not make any sound with his footstep as he runs towards the entrance. As soon as he clears the entrance, the sight of Kuoh town greets him. Now, all he has to do is to quickly disappear before the rest find him.

 _Shrine_

It took a while, but he'd finally managed to make it back to the shrine. To avoid being detected, Akira had taken a few detours and made sure that none of the figures was flying above him trying to track him down or anything. Akira sighs in relief, as he grasps the handle of the door after taking off his shoes, sliding it sideways as he enters his accommodation, aching for a good bath followed by sleep. Unfortunately, he is once again subjected to the gaze of Morgana, along with a subtle question. "Took you long enough. You look tired."

"Sorry, Morgana. I had a lot to think about. Let me just take a shower and I'll go to sleep." He responds, walking into his room and preparing the things needed to shower. As Akira steps out of his room, the front door slides open once more to reveal Akeno. He notices a figure behind said girl, but decides to not question it too much.

"Akira? Did you just come back?" There is a tone of surprise in her voice as if she was not expecting him to come back this late.

"Yeah. I decided to go to the church nearby earlier." He responds, slinging his towel over his shoulder. "What about you?'

"Oh, I had some club matters to attend to." Right, Saji had spoken about the popular people being in a club of sorts. "I hope you don't mind the presence of another person here. This is Rias, my club's president and my friend. She's going to be staying here for the night because it's late and her house is too far away." As Akeno introduces the girl, said girl steps through the door as well, and Akira cannot help but notice her generous assets, along with her buxom figure. However, his eyes only linger for a second before they stare into her blue eyes.

"A pleasure to meet you, Kurusu-kun. Akeno's told me about you." She is the one to initiate the conversation first. He quickly puts on a smile to match hers.

"Please, just call me Akira, Gremory-san." So this is the other Onee-Sama of Kuoh Academy? She certainly does have the attitude, although there's something about her that he can't place. It feels somewhat dark, but to call it dark would be too much. Perhaps devilish would be the right word? There seems to be some sort of mischief hidden under those eyes of hers.

"Then just call me Rias, Akira. Any friend of Akeno is a friend of mine as well."

"Will do, Rias. I'll see you around." With that, Akira makes his way to the bathroom, not knowing that the main topic of the conversation which is about to occur will be him, of all people. However, he pauses for a second and decides to do something reckless that might cause a chain reaction. But first, he should take a shower. He still smells of sweat after all and he isn't exactly rushed.

Rias' POV

"So, what do you think, Rias?" The moment the two of them enter the room, Akeno quickly closes the door.

"Sona was right. He would make a fine Bishop." She states, placing her bag on the floor. "But..."

"But what?" Akeno is curious, leaning forward.

"He isn't a pervert. He didn't stare at my chest like most other boys his age would. His eyes, they were looking right at me. As if he could see through me. It made me feel slightly queasy." She decides to state what's on her mind, knowing that Akeno would be able to somehow coax it out of her anyway. The mana that is leaking out of him is also slightly worrying. It only happens when someone uses magic for the first time or after a long while and they are unable to fully control their mana, causing it to leak out. Or it has been like that since birth for him. "His mana is leaking slightly, however. The trace is faint, but given enough time it can be traced back."

"Ah, yes. Those eyes of his seem to betray an intelligence that could perhaps be on par with Sona's. As for his mana, I think it started a few days ago?" She takes a second to contemplate this. Akeno is hardly wrong when it comes to judging people and it would make no sense to forge a lie, as ridiculous as it sounds.

"So we have to be smart when recruiting him, huh?" Rias sighs. When did trying to gather a peerage to defeat Riser's become so hard? Issei wasn't too hard to get, due to how he was killed by the fallen angel, which gave her an opening to recruit the dying brunette at that time. Yet, it would appear that this Akira was playing hard to get. Akira clearly wasn't a pervert, so he couldn't be swayed by her or Akeno's beauty, that was for sure. He was smart, that meant that if she ever asked him upfront, Rias would have to endure a long negotiation with him to make sure that he didn't have the chance to rip her off.

A sudden usage of mana interrupts her thought. Someone is using magic in this house, and it is clearly not Akeno, given her surprised reaction as well. She narrows her eyes. If it wasn't her or Akeno, then...

"To think he could use magic already... Akeno, did you know about this?" Akeno rapidly shakes her head at this new development.

"No. When he first came, I didn't sense something like this. I think he figured it out or something." Rias smiles in silent celebration. She now has a way to bring this Akira to her side, after all. Who wouldn't be happy, especially when said person has untapped potential that could perhaps match some of the better Bishops in rating games? "What should we do, Buchou?"

"Leave him be. I have an idea."

Akira's POV

 _Friday Morning_

"Are you sure about this? What if we get seen together?" Akira asks, walking alongside the two Great Onee-Samas.

"We'll just call it a coincidence. The amount of influence we have is certainly enough to make such rumours... die down." Rias says confidently, brushing off the question like nothing. He supposes that it is true. To be given such titles meant that they would certainly have the ability to deal with such matters. Still, he cannot help but be slightly shaken at what he's seen of their auras last night.

Both of them had been figures outlined in red, to his surprise. The bigger surprise, however, was their individual auras. Rias had this reddish aura, that seemed to be constantly craving for chaos and destruction. Akeno however, had two different types of aura. The first one was a just like Rias' only much milder in terms of craving for destruction and chaos but still just as dark. The second one, however, was just like those beings in the church, with tainted light. What did that even mean?

"Oh, Akira. Try to stay away from the church for the next few days. According to our expeditions, there seems to be some sort of supernatural phenomenon going on there. so try to stay away for the time being." Akira nods his head, knowing how right Akeno is. However, this makes Akira want to go back to the Church more, to see what exactly is going on. After all, the adventurous spirit within him thirsts for something to explore.

"Will do. May I know what your club is? And what kind of expeditions?"

"Oh, right. I forgot to tell you. We're from the Occult Research Club. We do go out during unorthodox timings to look for supernatural encounters."

"Sounds fun. Mind if I join?" For some reason, Rias smiles mysteriously at his sardonic comment.

"Maybe." Is all that she says. "We're reaching soon, by the way. Brace yourself." Sure enough, the view of Kuoh Academy comes into sight as soon as Rias says that along with a few students near the entrance as well. Time to disappear. There's no point in dealing with this kind of thing again, especially when it can be avoided.

"I'll see you two later." He says as he slows down his walking pace, making sure that he is behind the two girls before doing what he needs to do. A second later, he disappears. He ain't got time to deal with this again after all. The last thing he hears is the sound of Akeno and Rias being surprised before he manages to sneak ahead without their knowledge. Too easy. Especially with a few obstructions that block both of their views from seeing him sneak past them. He smirks. Just another day of school.

 _Friday Afternoon_

"I knew you would be here." He doesn't look back, instead choosing to savour the view of Kuoh Academy from the roof as he knows who the footsteps belong to.

"Akeno. Rias. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Nothing much. We just felt like not eating at the ORC clubroom. It does get a little tiring having to dine there for lunch all the time." Akira nods his head at that. He grabs his lunch bag, containing rice along with a simple curry made from Sojiro's recipe and a few flasks of coffee.

"Here, want some coffee? I always bring extra just in case." He offers a flask each to Akeno and Rias, both of whom accept it.

"Thanks, Akira." He smiles and waits, and sure enough, the surprise from both Akeno and Rias come once again.

"You're full of surprises, aren't you? I may be a tea person, but this coffee is the best that I've ever tasted in my life. If you weren't a student, I would hire you as my barista." Rias says, with a hint of disbelief in her tone. Nothing can beat Sojiro's recipe. He smirks at the thought of it. Still, Rias makes it sound like she's rich enough to do so. Then again, she probably is.

"I might have accepted your offer then." He responds, before beginning to devour his lunch with gusto. It is one of the most delicious curries he's cooked in his lifetime and he's hungry from studying.

 _Friday Evening_

 _Church_

"I'll see you later, Morgana."

"For what?"

"I wish to test out my Third Eye again. Since it's abandoned, I thought it would be a good place to do so." Morgana accepts the explanation and leaps out from his bag.

"I'll see you at home. You do have Paradise Lost and Nataraja with you, right?" Somehow, Morgana was alright with him carrying his weapons to school. Then again, it was prudent for him to do so according to Morgana, after having informed the feline of what he'd seen from the park a week or so ago. Within seconds, Morgana is nowhere to be seen, having bounded away already with his graceful agility. That had been the conversation they had earlier, but now the feline was gone, and he had spent a few minutes waiting before going into the church.

He begins his walk to the church entrance once more, although something is definitely wrong. He can feel the tense atmosphere as if something big is about to happen. The church doors are open once more, and just like last time, the church is isolated. However, there is a notable difference in the layout. At where the altar in the front once is, it his opened, revealing a flight of stairs that led down to God knows where. He bites his lip, noting how it is so silent. It is too silent, in fact.

"So, you're the human that was here last night, huh? No doubt about it. Your mana is leaking slightly, kid." A gruff voice accompanies the man in a fedora, as he steps out of the shadows, his two wings folded behind him.

"What are you?" He quickly decides to go straight to the point, knowing that there's no point in beating around the bush.

"I'm surprised you don't know of us, magician. Unless you discovered magic not too long ago. Yes, that seems to be the case." The man voices out his thoughts for a second, and Akira grips Paradise Lost in his bag tightly, ready to pull it out if needed.

"Why not deal with him already, Dohanseek? A simple memory wipe on the poor guy and he'll be on his jolly way back being none the wiser." Another one steps out of the shadows, this time a busty blue-haired woman dressed in a maroon dress of sorts with the top few buttons unbuttoned, leaving little to the imagination.

"No. There's something within his bag that he's gripping. Judging from how he's holding it, he seems to be ready to fight. Come on, show us what you-" A scream interrupts the words of the now identified Dohanseek, preventing him from speaking any further.

"What's going on?" Before he can proceed to do anything, however, someone from behind knocks him to his knees with something aimed at his neck, judging by the angle of the hand beside him. Shit! He lowered his guard down and now he is paying the price of it. He knows that if he tries to fight back, the other two people in front of him would have the opportunity to easily defeat against him. Three foes who have the same or higher offence capability as himself would overwhelm him with ease, especially when Akira doesn't have a Persona.

"Too easy. Come on, let's bring him to Raynare. Hopefully, she lets me play with him afterwards. It would be a waste not to play with one as handsome as him." The person from behind him speaks up, clearly a female. He sweats slightly. It seems that the girl behind him is a sadist of sorts.

"Good job, Millet. Raynare will want to see this guy." The busty one speaks up, and he is forcibly dragged deeper into the church, choosing to not resist in order to save his strength for an opening. If he played his cards right, he might be able to get out of this situation, given how they carelessly left his bag which contained Paradise Lost and a fully loaded Nataraja on his right shoulder.

 _Basement_

"Raynare!" As the four of them finally exit the flight of stairs, Akira is greeted by quite the crowd. There are several people, all of whom seemed to be priests of sorts. His eyes widen as he spots the cross in the middle, with the nun from yesterday bound and shackled onto it. What exactly was going on? This made no sense at all. The best that he could garner was that Asia was about to be used for some sort of ritual, and it was clear that Asia had been abused physically, given the tears in her eyes. The culprit was the one they called Raynare, it seemed.

"What is it? I've told you to not disturb me unless there's something important." The leader, Raynare, turns around.

"We've found the human. He came back."

"So, you're the one that uses magic, huh? I didn't know of any magicians in this town." She walks up close towards him, her face nearing his. However, he maintains his stoic look, refusing to give his captors any sort of pleasure from his capture.

"I think he recently discovered magic. From a closer distance, you can feel his mana leaking slightly." Dohanseek explains quickly. His eyes quickly dart around, trying to spot an opening but no such thing presents itself. The girl behind him still has a firm grip on his arm, her arm having never left his neck. Clearly, they were still able to end his life on a whim if they so chose to.

"What's going on?" He decides to question, and thankfully, an answer is given to him this time around.

"Well, since you're going to die, I guess I'll tell you. Be grateful, filthy human. We're fallen angels." The revelation causes his eyes to widen. Fallen angels? That would certainly explain the tainted light aura that they had. But to think that such beings existed? It was impossible, yet the proof was in front of him. "The girl holds a Sacred Gear. We are extracting the Sacred Gear out of her, and she will die." Die? This was almost too much to handle. However, one thing was clear. He couldn't let the girl die. By the looks of it, she was innocent and had nothing to do with this entire thing. It was only because of the Sacred Gear thingy that she got involved in the first place. He couldn't allow this to happen. That was also the only matter that kept him focused.

"Why?"

"Why, you ask? It's because God gave her a Sacred Gear. She doesn't deserve it! What was God thinking, giving you insects such precious items? Twilight Healing is better off in my hands, and I will be able to gain the recognition of Azazel-sama with it!" Raynare leans back, laughing sadistically. Asia didn't deserve it? From a glance, Akira could tell that Asia was one of the most innocent people that he had ever met in his life.

"If she doesn't deserve it, what makes you think you deserve it?" A look of rage crosses her face, before Raynare smiles sadistically once more.

"It's because you humans are nothing more than insects! We were angels, beings of perfection created by God himself! And to think that he said that humans were capable of much more than us! What a joke! Look at you all and your history! You insects fight amongst yourselves all the time! None of you are worthy to hold such a precious gift by God!" Akira has to admit, she did make a fair point. The last two World Wars happened within a span of half a decade, all caused by political agendas.

"Maybe, but it doesn't mean you are worthy either." He was sick of it. So sick of the fact that he was being looked down upon, as if he'd committed a heinous crime. What kind of crime did he even commit this time? He was probably just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Some part of him wished that he wasn't here, yet another deeper, darker part of him wished that he had the power to strike back.

So sick of being seen as weak. Something within him began to stir, as he wished that he could strike down the fallen angel in front of him with all his might. If only he could turn his hatred and rage into something more...

So sick of seeing others being defenceless and unable to fend for themselves. He remembered how he was once fighting for justice, fighting against a society that tried to chain him and his ideals down. He could fight once more, couldn't he? Especially when there was another life at risk here. So what if he didn't have his Persona? If he didn't stand up and rebel with all his might, what kind of Phantom Thief would he be? Would he even be deserving of that title? If he died, so be it. But he wouldn't go down without a fight.

Akira spat on her face.

"You! You filthy insect! I was thinking of letting you live to see the ritual's end, but it seems that you do not deserve it." A spear of light formed on Raynare's hand, aimed at his head.

 _"So, you've once again found your justice to protect."_

"You keep calling us insects. You keep insulting us, saying we're not worthy. You intend to kill an innocent girl for your own gains. You speak as if you're any better." He spat out, ignoring how Raynare looked ready to thrust the spear into his brain. He

 _"You wish to protect it, even though the consequences are right in front of you?"_

"Yes." His lips moved ever so slightly, responding to the voice in his head.

 _"So be it. Thou's resolve still burns bright. Let us renew the vow once more"_

He grips his head tightly, the pain in his head beginning to overwhelm his senses. Thankfully, Millet's hand has moved away from his neck, as the other fallen angels move away in shock as well.

 _"Vow to me. I am thou, thou art I. T_ _hou who art willing to defy even the Heavens and Hell for thine own justice, release thy rage and call my name! Even if thou be sentenced to Hell for eternity, show the strength of thy will and release thy rage!"_

A familiar bird-shaped mask appears on his face, and Akira instinctively grips it hard, knowing what he must do, at all costs. He feels the familiar pain, as he begins to slowly pull off the mask.

"Stop him!" Raynare's cry sends the others out of their stupor, but it is too late as Akira manages to fully rip the mask from his face. Blood flows freely from his face like a river, and a blue fire begins to engulf his being once more, forcing the four fallen angels to stop.

"Defy the Heavens, Satanael!"

 _We all wear masks, and when the time comes, we cannot remove them without removing some of our own skin. - Andre Berthiaume_

 **A/N: Actually managed to finish this chapter before exams start. I guess I wrote this on a whim. Somehow, this also translated into me practising for my exams because English be hard. I really hoped you guys liked the concept of my rewritten story so far. This might seem slightly rushed, idk tbh. But I hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I do enjoy writing this. BTW, mysterious POV isn't Raynare or Kuroka just to clarify.**

 **Why did I put Satanael instead of** **Arsene?**

**Many people have been asking this question, so I figured I'll quickly answer this question while fixing some of the minor errors here.** **Thing is, Satanael is basically Arsene unsealed. In the final boss fight against Yaldabaoth, Akira snaps the chain around Arsene, and Satanael is unsealed because of it. After the fight, there is no reason for Satanael to be resealed as Arsene once more. So I figured it would be better for Satanael to be Akira's persona upon his second awakening because of it. Feels more natural that way. Plus, it does align with what I have in mind for this fanfic, especially since I'm prolly gonna toy with a few ideas here and there as well.**

 **Hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter and leave a review if you guys think that there's room for improvement or any requests that you want! Some requests will be considered. Feel free to PM me if you want. Absurd requests are obviously not allowed and dun flame. I am only an amateur at this shit.**

 **On that note, peace out people!**

 **322n**

 _ **Songs :**_

 **Direct, Killbyte - One Less Star ft Matt Van**

 **Air Eoi - Innocence**

 **Air Eoi - Ignite**

 **Jay Chou - 晴天**

 **F.I.R.** **飛兒樂團 -** **月牙湾**


	5. A Simple Fight

**Responding to reviews 101**

 **Why did I put Satanael instead of** **Arsene?**

 **Many people have been asking this question and I know more than a few people are curious about this, so I figured I'll quickly answer this question here.** **Thing is, Satanael is basically Arsene unsealed. In the final boss fight against Yaldabaoth, Akira snaps the chain around Arsene, and Satanael is unsealed because of it. After the fight, I thought that there is no reason for Satanael to be resealed as Arsene once more. So I figured it would be better for Satanael to be Akira's persona upon his second awakening because of it. It feels more natural that way. Plus, it does align with what I have in mind for this fanfic, especially since I'm prolly gonna toy with a few ideas here and there as well.**

 **hnh0585132: It depends, given how lazy Azazel is. If he deems it important or is pestered by Shemhazial or Baraqiel, he will probably rush. But this is Azazel we're talking about, you know?**

 **Landae: I'm glad you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing this. Cheers!**

 **Lokyloco: Pairings wise, I've been thinking about it. You can read my Author's note at the end of the story.**

 **SeraphKaii00: Who knows? *Shrugs***

 **janed12000: It's simply because Akira didn't know the implications of using the Third Eye just like that lmao. If he knew then Akira would have erred on the safe side of caution. But this is probably a learning experience for him, plus he doesn't need to stay so low-key anymore after this.**

 **Ediros: Unlike the first time I wrote this, I did think out why I wanted to put Satanael in.**

 **Midnight: Until next chapter indeed. Kek**

 **Suzululu4moe: The thing is, Rias' marriage to Riser is already a matter that she and Sona have known quite a while, otherwise Rias wouldn't have bothered using such means to try and recruit Issei. She is betting on the notion that they will have to fight in a rating game for a chance to regain her freedom, which is why she's trying to recruit different pieces in the first place.**

 **edo123456: The aftermath is bound to be interesting, that's for sure. That I can guarantee. But it'll be covered in the next chapter.** **However, Satanael's appearance will affect Akira himself as well and not just the people around him.**

 **Blizzardfang: Fusing the two, as in Akira and Satanael or what other context? If you're talking about Akira and Satanael, I do have a few ideas planned, since I've already gone down this path.**

 **Berserker of Klyntar: I can't exactly say how his appearance would affect the world since that would ruin the plot, but let's just say Satanael's appearance is more on a smaller scale this time round so he's not gonna be drawing too much attention. However, Satanael's appearance will affect Akira himself as well.**

 **xhope14x: Yeah, I know I kind of suck in that aspect, my writing ain't exactly the best. But thanks for your opinion, I will try my best to improve on it.**

 _15th January 2016_

 _Amongst the Grigori, there are whispers and rumours, but most rumours have typically been quelled by time. A single rumour, however, has survived the test of time, having been passed from fallen angel to fallen angel, yet none of have managed to prove its authenticity. It is the rumour that speaks of one of the founding members of the Grigori. No one knows his name, much less his existence. Only Azazel and the fallen Book Keepers might know of such a figure, yet none refuse to even move their whenever the subject is brought up before them, including me._

 _It is just as well. After all, we've been sworn to secrecy to this matter by Azazel himself, from the moment we entered the Grigori. Azazel has managed to make sure that every Book Keeper who falls is immediately brought to the Grigori, to make sure that the matter stays secret. The knowledge that someone whose power rivals, or may even surpass that of the Voice of God and has little to no ties with the very organisation he created still exists, it does nothing but place fear within the hearts of everyone. It astonishes me that his power could reach such heights. Then again, he wasn't created like the rest of the Archangels, for he is without limit. Perhaps that is why his strength is like that. I pray that the day he appears once more never comes, for it can only mean one thing._

 _Another rebellion is about to begin. And it would simply be just the beginning._

 _\- Dohanseek_

Rias' POV

"What the?" The moment she feels the burst of mana, Rias cannot help but voice her surprise. After all, it is a substantial amount of mana. One would require deep reserves to be able to pour out this much without any problem. Then she realises where the burst of mana is from. The church. The colour drains from her face, as she realises the implications of it. Issei, Koneko and Kiba have already gone ahead. If they were really at the church...

No, now wasn't the time to think about such things. She couldn't let her servants die, no matter the threat. "Akeno, prepare the teleportation circle at once. We must head there." Akeno nods her head as she begins to furiously prepare, the Queen is also worried about the rest of them after all. Unfortunately, a teleportation circle would take some time to prepare, especially since they were going to teleport to a former holy area.

Morgana's POV

His eyes widen, as he suddenly feels the burst of mana coming from the direction of the church. Without hesitation, Morgana begins to run towards the church as fast as his feline body would allow him to go. "Goddammit, Akira. I leave you alone for a while and this happens?" Seriously though, what the hell happened while he left the Trickster alone? Morgana can only pray that Akira would be able to handle the situation, knowing that he wouldn't get there in time. He should be ok, right?

Akira's POV

"Defy the Heavens, Satanael!" A wave of raw mana bursts forth from his being, as blue fire engulfs his entire body. A second later, they begin to move away from his body, revealing Akira in an outfit. Akira cannot help but smirk at the familiar feeling of the trench coat, along with the sight of his red gloves. There is no mask covering his face however, as the Persona behind him begins to emerge from the blue flame.

The Persona radiates one thing that makes every denizen present in the basement shudder. Power. He exudes raw power like no other, as his full form began to finally emerge. While not on the scale of Tokyo's skyscrapers like last time, he is certainly large enough to be able to contend with the size of the cross that Asia is shackled onto. A black halo floats above his head, the twin ruby eyes glinting wickedly as they analyze the four fallen angels in front of him. His six feathery wings, as they keep him above the ground. His slender fingers still grasp the rifle which shot down Yaldabaoth, his index finger ready to pull the trigger any given time.

"Who the hell are you?!" Raynare shouts, light spear at the ready while Dohanseek's eyes widen in fear.

"Raynare! We must flee and report back to Azazel-sama! We have no hope of standing against him!" Dohanseek panics. As he should, knowing his identity.

"You're a fucking coward, Dohanseek! He's just got a six-winged backing him! We can take him before the six-winged overwhelms us." Kalawarner speaks out the opinion of the rest. They assume him to be a mere six-winged? These fools...

"You don't fucking understand! He's not just a mere six-winged! And you are severely underestimating that human!"

"Well, flee if you want on your own then!"

"If you die, it's your own fault." Dohanseek responds, wings beating furiously as he leaves the basement. Well, at least there is one less person for him to deal with. Although, it also means that Azazel would know of his reappearance. A small price to pay for the life of Asia.

"You should have really followed the fallen Book Keeper, you know? He's got knowledge that is not privy to typical fallen, you know?" He speaks, his voice different for some reason. No matter, he could always figure things out later. The enemies in front of him, they are the more pressing issue at the moment. "I would suggest the few of you leave right now." He offers them the final chance to back out of what would be a one-sided fight. No, perhaps the term, a massacre would be the right one to use this time around. Would he be leaving them alive? that remains to be seen.

"And botch up the ritual? No." Akira laughs. Was this how foolish his kind had become? He ignores the strange train of thought, instead focusing on the three in front of him.

"A pity. I'm pretty sure that Azazel would be... disgusted to see one of his inventions be used for such a perverse purpose." He speaks. How odd. His voice sounds different once more, just when he thinks that he's gotten used to this new voice. Sure enough, the one called Raynare hurls the light spear that she holds in his hand at him, which he slices it into half with ease.

"Don't you say that! I'm doing this for his sake! What gives you the right to say his name so casually?!" He laughs again. He has every right to do so, after all.

"Perhaps you might find that out for yourself. But enough of that. I gave you all a chance to turn back and have yourself pardoned Don't blame me for being merciless. Especially when you endangered a human life in the process." Akira responds, crimson eyes flashing dangerously. "Heat Riser!" The Persona behind him mimics his movement, as they both clench their right fist facing the heavens, before pulling it down and causing three pillars of different coloured light to flare up, forming a perfect triangle around him.

"Flashy. But it won't do you any good." Kalawarner is the first to charge. Akira cannot help but internally laugh at her comment. Personae skills, while flashy, always had a purpose behind it. However, he can commend her for her courage, even if they are facing an opponent that they have no sliver of hope of defeating. He slices the light spear in Kalawarner's hand just like before with Paradise Lost, before going for a simple thrust aimed at her gut. The words that he mutters next, however, are what makes the difference between a simple stab and the blow he's about to deliver. He mentally prepares himself for the slight drain on his vitality, knowing that using such a high-level physical skill would come with a cost.

"Brave Blade." Behind him, Satanael fires his gun, three sharp blade strikes to flying towards his attacker at a speed that one would describe as impossibly fast, slamming into Kalawarner just as the simple stab connects with her. The effect is immediate, as Kalawarner is sent flying back completely by the powerful impact of the Brave Blade. She finally stops flying when she hits the wall, slumping down a second later while groaning in pain. "You were saying something?" He questions, twirling the dagger as if he doesn't value his hand, to the untrained eye.

It is clear that Kalawarner has suffered pretty harsh wounds, two holes cleanly going through her thigh, with a third one on where her liver would be. Blood begins to profusely gush from those wounds, while she coughs up blood. "Shit, Dohanseek was right. We weren't a match for him in the first place! We need to run, now!" Akira laughs at the words of Millett, a sinister grin forming as she watches her begin to flee through the same passageway that Dohanseek had left earlier.

"That Dohanseek fellow warned you. I gave you a chance. Don't blame me for being all out of mercy. One Shot Kill." Again, his persona fires his gun, this time a single bullet descending from the heavens as it strikes the poor fallen angel, causing her to crash to the ground, the spinning force of the bullet being able to somehow drill a moderate sized hole through her stomach. While the technique does not do what its name implies, it is still enough to cause grievous wounds to her.

"Y...You monster!" Is all that Millett spits out, coughing up more blood in the process. It is clear that both Millett and Kalawarner have severe wounds that demand immediate attention, and they will die of it soon if no medical treatment is provided to them. He ignores her, his gaze trained at the ringleader of the group.

"I've been called many things. A hero, a devil, a monster, a saviour. I've been praised by some, yet the number who insult and curse me are more. You all called me nothing but insects and weak earlier. Let me ask you something. Do I look weak to you right now?" He directs the question at Raynare, who has clearly lost the will to fight anymore.

"I...I"

"I suppose it is fine that you don't answer," Akira responds, having decided his next course of action. "But I am much stronger than any of you think."

"You're not just a mere human who has a six-winged aiding you, are you?" Kalawarner speaks out from where she landed earlier, managing to get the words out with difficulty due to how serious her wounds are.

"I suppose you are right in that regard. How did you come to that conclusion?"

"Your aura. It's changed. It feels like that six-winged behind you now. The two of you have the same exact auras. At first, I thought it was just the six-winged's aura overflowing, but now it's much clearer."

"How astute. I guess the few of you should be on your way." The expressions of the fallen angels change to one of shock and fear when he mentions that.

"Are you going to kill us?" Millett asks, fear in her tone.

"No. Killing the people who are a part of the very organisation I helped to create will cause nothing but trouble. Salvation." Akira intones the last word, clenching his right fist as Satanael does the same, healing the two fallen angels who had been wounded severely by them. It was a known fact that Six-winged angels and above had the ability to heal, but the shock on their faces proved that they hadn't been expecting such a high level of healing, to be able to seal up such wounds and regrow damaged organs to perfection. Akira however, still can't get past the fact that his line of thought and speech have been pretty weird today.

"You were a founding member of the Grigori? Why is it that we've never heard of you?"

"I merely assisted in laying a few foundations before leaving. How can I be called a true founding member?" Akira laughs bitterly. That's it, he's going to have to talk with his Persona.

"T-thank you for sparing us."

"Now, leave. Do not bring the girl with you. Return to the Grigori, and inform Azazel of your deeds. Whether you wish to tell him about me, that is up to you." Nodding their heads frantically, the three of them turn to leave as quickly as possible, not sparing a second glance at him. After all, it was clear that none of them wanted to waste this second chance that had been bestowed upon them.

As soon as they leave, Akira chooses to let the Persona behind disappear, his white bird mask forming on his face once more. The footsteps coming from the stairs grow louder and Akira quickly eyes the bottom of the stairs, waiting to greet those who would come and try to harm the innocent girl. But just that little action seems to have triggered something. He stumbles slightly, as all the fatigue begins to seep into his bones out of nowhere. Shit. The adrenaline from earlier must have worn off, and now Akira feels as if he is running on nothing but fumes. Was this the after effect of a second awakening?

Then they come. The first detail he catches of the three people is their school uniforms, which happen to be the standard issue Kuoh Academy uniforms. So they were students from the same academy, but he still cannot let his guard down. Blue flames then engulf his vision all of a sudden, causing his Phantom Thief outfit to disappear and his school uniform to once again take his place. "W-Who are you?" is all that he can get out before he feels his legs starting to give way, and before he knows it, his face is facing the floor. Akira tries to continuously futilely resist falling into the realm of unconsciousness, yet his eyes refuse to open once more, as they fully close. He feels the hand of someone touching him, trying to get him up. A second later, he is forced to give way, unable to struggle further against the fatigue of his Second awakening.

? POV

"To think he's the one that we've been looking for all this time. I must inform them at once." She silently laughs at herself. After all, how could she not? If she hadn't bothered to follow him into the church, it would be safe to say that she wouldn't even realise that Akira was the one that she has been looking for all this time. The boy was actually always in front of him, every day, for six days a week. Yet, she had failed to figure out the fact that he was the one who had pretty much slain a God. And not just any God too, according to the reports. It was the Demiurge, a God whose power levels were unknown, his origins even a mystery. But one thing was for certain, many claimed it to be an interpretation of YHVH. And it might be the truth. Yet, the truth had been distorted throughout the centuries, making her unsure of what was correct.

Slaying a God like that, it had its repercussions. It had taken the intervention of Tsukuyomi-dono to make sure that none of the humans remembered such an event, but apparently, even the Moon God was unable to figure out who was the one who performed the deed as he erased the memories in a single night. From there on, a report had been compiled and agents were frantically dispatched all over Japan to find the person who had managed to slay Yaldabaoth. And for those who were working on the Phantom Thief case, they were forced to redouble their efforts, especially since the Leader of the Phantom Thieves had been the one to do it.

Apparently, they'd managed to find a few people who might be the Phantom Thieves and even discovered a few... coincidences amongst them. Yet, they could not investigate as they had no evidence to back up their suspicions of those few individuals. One of their main suspects had also somehow vanished into thin air, as if he had never existed in the first place. Anyway, the slaying of such a powerful God was bound to draw the attention of a few factions. But the fallen angels had taken an interest in the matter. It was only right for them to do so, after all.

According to the reports, the Leader of the Phantom Thieves had managed to summon a fallen angel who was the size of Tokyo's skyscrapers that radiated power that was clearly beyond that of the Demiurge. A fallen angel with six wings, to be precise. Yet, it had managed to radiate power that was comparable to the likes of Hades and Thor. Whether those rumours were true or not, it didn't matter. The fact that the proof is right in front of her was enough. She needed to leave now, before she got detected by him. Taking one last good look at Akira and the outfit that he is currently donning, she stealthily leaves, leaving no evidence of her presence.

Issei's POV

"Asia! We're here to-" He cut himself off, upon seeing the sight in front of him. After all, Issei had been fully expecting the church to be swarmed with enemies, probably some exorcists blocking his way, while the fallen angels would be doing their thing. However, no such sight greeted him. Instead, it was simply empty. There was no one to bother him, but his keen devil senses pick up on the aura of power that's blanketing over this church like a baptism. The source seems to be from the flight of stairs at the front.

As he moves forth, Kiba warns him. "Careful, Issei! We don't know what's down there."

"I will, Kiba." A sword manifests on the blonde prince's hand, following Issei's pace as the three of them slowly proceed down.

"Issei-senpai. Retreat if necessary." Issei cannot help but swallow visibly at Koneko's warning. After all, she's a person of few words but each word she spoke was meaningful. For her to say something like this... It could only spell nothing but trouble up ahead. Her expression is clearly troubled too, the wave of power clearly troubling her enough to display some sort of worry. As they near the stairs, he hears the sound of wings beating.

The sight of three fallen angels flying towards him greet him, forcing the three of them to quickly dodge to the side instinctively while preparing for combat. However, arguably the weirdest thing of the night happens next. They fly past him, Kiba and Koneko, not bothering to stop as they fly through the entrance that the three of them had just busted through.

"What the hell just happened?"

"Scared." Koneko's short but concise reply provides him with an answer once more. So whatever was down there had managed to scare four fallen angels? What the hell? One thing is clear, however. Whoever or whatever scared them is perhaps out of their league as well.

As he proceeds down the steps, Issei cannot help but realise something. Whether it was because the fallen angels got scared or because of something else, there's something he knows. He knows far too little of what's going on. Sure, he's been given the basic rundown of how things go on in this little town, but the world's a much bigger place than this. He quickly makes a mental note to ask Buchou to educate him on such matters when he gets back.

A dark part of him, however, changes that line of thought slightly. If he gets back. "No point thinking about such things now, Issei. Gotta rescue Asia." As they finally clear the last few steps, he is greeted by another strange sight. Asia is bound to the cross by a few chains around her arms, setting her in a T-pose. There are exorcists in the basement, but none of them seem to have the will to fight anymore. A person who is wearing quite a particular set of clothes is looking at him, although blue flames cloak him a second later, revealing the same person wearing the same school uniform as them? Wait, what?

"W-who are you?" is all that his fellow student can mutter before he collapses onto the ground as something falls onto the ground with a loud clang.

"Issei-san? What are you doing here?" Asia calls out, still bound by the chains. He quickly snaps back to reality, dashing towards Asia and freeing her from the cross by breaking the chains.

"What happened, Asia?" Issei cannot help but notice how none of the exorcists seems to be stopping him, most of them having fainted while the few who were seemed to be disturbed by something.

"I think I know who this is. He should be the new transfer student, Kurusu Akira." Kiba interrupts them, struggling to get the senpai up with a grunt. "He's heavier than he looks."

Koneko assists the blonde prince in carrying their senpai, leaving said prince free to get his phone. "I'll call Buchou and tell her what has happened here. We should be able to get an account or two of what transpired beforehand." Issei nods, bringing Asia down safely from the cross.

 _Occult research Club_

"And that's when we saw Kurusu-senpai collapsing onto the ground. The exorcists that were conscious didn't do anything to stop us." Issei cannot help but contemplate what the actual fuck just happened. Presumably, their senpai had rescued Asia before them and managed to cause their would-be opponents to flee.

"Thank you, Kiba." Rias, however, has a frown on her face while Akeno serves them tea. Akira-senpai however, is currently still unconscious as he is settled onto the couch by Koneko. Issei cannot help but notice that there's something in Akira-senpai's unzipped bag, apart from normal books as he places it next to his senpai.

"Ise-san, what are you doing?" Issei ignores the call of his Buchou, in favour of grasping the handle of one of the objects that have caught his eye. With a single breath, he pulls it out, accidentally cutting the strap of the bag in the process. He exhales, ignoring the damaged strap. It is a dagger, that is for certain. An extremely sharp one at that. While his knowledge of blades is limited, he is sure that this dagger is bigger than typical daggers, the blade itself already larger than most. It is curved, and the sharp edge seems to emphasize it's deadliness. However, the main feature of the knife is the red gem that's imbued on the hilt. Under the light of the ORC Room, it is seemingly glinting, in a wicked manner. With his heightened senses, it feels off... like it has an aura of its own much like how characters in anime would have an aura as well.

Digging into Akira-senpai's bag once more, he takes the second object that has managed to catch his eye. His eyes widen once more, as he pulls out a fucking gun. "What the hell?" He cannot help but whisper, although he is sure that the entire room has heard it. After all, Issei wasn't expecting a high-schooler to have a firearm as well. To be exact, it is a pistol. The appearance is deceivingly bulky, but as he holds it in his hand, it feels light. Something tells him that the firear isn't just for show, and it is loaded as well.

"Mysterious," Koneko mutters, before settling down and nibbling on a cookie that appeared out of nowhere. The other members of the ORC, including himself, cannot help but agree with Koneko's assessment.

Thinking for a second, he decides to put it back before Akira awakens.

"You know, I don't exactly appreciate it when people go through my stuff." He can feel his shoulders stiffen immediately at those words, knowing he's been caught in the act.

Akira's POV

 _Velvet Room_

Feeling the hardwood under his bed, he quickly gets up, instinctively knowing where he is. After all, it is hard to not remember such a feeling, however uncomfortable it may be.

"Igor. Lavenza." He greets the two residents of the Velvet Room, taking a seat with a gesture from Igor.

"That was a marvellous Second Awakening, my dear guest. I didn't expect you to immediately awake to Satanael this time, although I do believe that there may be some repercussions to that." Akira sighs. Of course, there had been some rather serious after effects. For one, he'd actually exhausted himself to the point where he actually collapsed. And to make things worse, he wasn't sure that those people who'd appear just before he collapsed harboured good intentions or not. He'd also discovered the existence of fallen angels. And if fallen angels existed, it could only mean one thing. After all, fallen angels had to come from somewhere, right?

"Igor. Do devils and angels exist as well?"

"Correct." Akira cannot hide his visible surprise at that. After all, from the short time that he'd interacted with Igor, he'd learnt that Igor would speak in riddles, never bothering to give a straight answer. "Yet, that's not all..." Igor does not finish the sentence, leading Akira to mentally facepalm. Of course, there's going to be more. He was too foolish to think that Igor had actually answered in a straightforward manner for once.

"I see." He digests the truth slowly, trying to piece together what he's learnt so far. So this was really the true nature of the world that he'd saved? And if Igor's word was to be believed, then Rias and Akeno, with their auras...

He didn't dare to finish the thought. After all, it is hard to believe that his first two acquaintance/friends are part of the Hidden World that Igor has spoken of. But is there really all to it?

No, there is something amiss. If the world only had devils, fallen angels and angels, they wouldn't be hidden but they might even be fighting in the first place. Therefore, there are two possibilities. One, they are in a cold war. Two, there is a greater power that is preventing them from fighting each other. Or a greater threat. It's unfortunate that he doesn't have more context, but perhaps he could find some way to get more information. After all, he is probably no doubt already a guest of those people from his school.

"Igor. Is there another reason why you called me here?" He asks tentatively. He probably isn't here just to be congratulated by Igor only.

"It is just to sort out a few matters, nothing more. But first things first, The Velvet Room will be unable to provide any more services for you, as you have completed your journey. However, you are always welcome no matter what, as a guest of The Velvet Room." Akira nodded his head in understanding, although it is quite a huge deal. After all, the assistance that The Velvet Room has rendered to him, even while under the control of Yaldabaoth, is still invaluable. It is sufficient to say that the Velvet Room had been a crucial part of his journey. He sighs in resignation, just as he begins to feel sleepy once more. This is no doubt the last time he'll be able to see the two residents of the Velvet Room for a long time.

"Before you go, however." Lavenza cuts in. "Dear guest, understand this. You cannot turn your back to the Hidden world, even if you wish to." Akira cannot help but smile bitterly at Lavenza's words. It seems that trouble will always find him, no matter how much he tries to avoid it. Sure, the Phantom Thief gig had been one hell of a thing, but Akira hadn't expected his life to become chaotic again so soon. It hasn't even been a year! Akira ignores the fact that he's feeling sleepy, thinking of a reply.

"Guess I'll face it with all I have, then. If there's no way back, then I can only move forward. Retreat was never an option in my mind anyway." He lets out a bitter laugh as he says it. Still, the words feel right. Whatever he's gotten himself into, there's no way he's going to withdraw from this situation, even if he doesn't know much about said situation. Angels, devils, fallen angels. If they come to be his enemy, so be it. There will be only one way. Detest his opponent. Change that animosity in power, and unleash it!

"Truly, you are a Trickster. I hope that we can meet sometime in the future." Lavenza's mysterious smile is the last thing he sees before he closes his eyes. Huh. Did she read his thoughts?

 _Occult Research Club_

"Mysterious." As he opens his eyes, the first sight that greets him is one of the people that were at the church going through his stuff. In his hands are Paradise Lost and the Tyrant Pistol and it appears that he is putting them back into his bag. Still, he cannot let them get away with this kind of act, can he? Even though he is curious about how Paradise Lost ended up in his bag once again, it doesn't matter as much now.

"You know, I don't exactly appreciate it when people go through my stuff," Akira calls out from his position, a hint of frigidness in his voice. The effect is immediate as the spiky brown hair student who is holding his weapons immediately stiffens at the sound of his voice.

 _Be bold in life. Seize the moment. There is no surrender, no retreat. There is only conquer or be conquered, victory or defeat. Anything less is to be forgotten to history. - Jeffery Fry_

 **A/N: Well, that does it for the update this month. I was planning to get this chapter out by the first week of March, but I had a few school matters to take care of, mainly my scholarship matters since I got shortlisted, and I also had an impromptu family holiday afterwards, which really pushed back this update. That being said, I did rewrite this probably like 3** **times** **simply because it didn't feel right, no matter how I tried until the third attempt at least. This is probably my most satisfactory attempt so far, although I might change some minor details to it in the future.**

 **Anyways, I have been thinking about pairings for a while, and I'm not gonna lie, I've been thinking whether I should be sticking to my previous polls or just go for a few new pairings. I know, I've been somewhat indecisive when it comes to this. What should I do? Leave a review on what do you guys think.**

 **Hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter and leave a review if you guys think that there's room for improvement or any requests that you want! Some requests will be considered. Feel free to PM me if you want. Absurd requests are obviously not allowed and dun flame. I am only an amateur at this shit.**

 **On that note, peace out people!**

 **322n**

 _ **Songs:**_

 **Panic! At the Disco - High Hopes**

 **Panic! At the Disco - I Write Sins, Not Tragedies**

 **Mika Kobayashi - Sennen No Hane (Feather of Millenium)**

 **Mika Kobayashi - Girl Inside**

 **Tanya Chua - Nightglow**


	6. Consequences

**Responding to reviews 101**

 **ChimaTigon: There are many representations of the final boss, but the most common myth is that the Demiurge/YHVH/Yaldabaoth is a representation of God that rebelled and tried to control the humans with an iron fist. So, when I say the Demiurge, I'm naturally referring to the final boss.**

 **Gamelover41592: Ok, so the thing with Akira is he's exhausted and tired and shit. He doesn't really want to deal with shit as of now, but he's probably got to figure a way out to do so. Plus, Morgana is still kind of worried about him so yeah, we got that too. Let's just say Akira's gonna have a hard time to wriggle out of this situation, even after he manages to get a rest.**

 **LastManStanding616: * _Rees internally_ * But seriously, thanks for pointing out my mistake. I forgot to run that section through spellcheck again, my bad. **

**ShadowXF: P5 The Royal alone is making me want to throw this story on a hiatus and wait for the game to be released, I ain't gonna lie. Got more material to work with if I do so, although I don't wish to push back the story by a few years since I'm already rewriting this. So I'm just gonna stick with this and continue writing.**

 **Immortal ninjaaa: To be honest, I can't really guarantee that it's not going to be a guide Issei fanfic. After all, this IS a crossover and it would be dumb of me to not make use of the Highschool DXD characters, especially Issei. Yeah, sure, Akira is gonna be the focal point here in this fanfic, but I am simply not going to dump Issei aside. So yea, I'm really sorry if you don't like where this fanfic is headed.**

 **Just some ra** **ndom: But better late than never, right? XD**

 **gerson: Perhaps. Who knows?** \\_(ツ)/

 _ORC Clubroom_

Akira's POV

"Akira? You're awake already?" Akeno is the first to voice out her concern, although Akira does not respond to her, his eyes still trained on Hyoudou Issei. Thankfully, the pervert gets the hint and immediately puts down his weapons. Still, he cannot help but notice the broken bag strap. He sighs. Right now, however, he's still feeling the drain from his Second Awakening. It's as if his Second Awakening has almost completely drained his physical and mental capabilities, that which can only be alleviated by proper rest. The nap has done little to help him in that aspect, but it's at least enough for him to hold a conversation and get back home.

"Yes, although I would like to head back and sleep soon. I'm still rather tired, after all." Akira responds, standing up. His knees buckle slightly underneath his seemingly heavy weight, a clear sign that he needs to rest. Unfortunately, circumstances do not allow it, as Rias stops him as he collects his bag.

"Akira-kun, would you mind explaining what happened at the Church? Asia's account sounds rather... far fetched and I could use another perspective."

"You're demanding something from me even before you explain who you and those that I fought really are?" Akira deadpans. It is true though since he doesn't have a general idea of the situation of the world, only of the fact that Angels, Fallen Angels and Devils exist, plus he could use this chance to find out more.

"I had assumed you were aware of us," Rias responds, although a faint blush begins to spread across her cheeks, probably from embarrassment.

"I only know that they are Fallen Angels. Nothing else. I wasn't even aware of them, until tonight. They tried to do something to Asia that would end in her death, so I decided to fight them. Whatever I did, it seemed to scare them so they fled." Akira weaves in lies within the truth, subconsciously praying that it makes his story seem somewhat believable at least. "I guess I was at the wrong place at the wrong time." He throws in that last bit of truth, knowing that it will not make any kind of difference as Rias is no doubt going to try to grill him until he coughs up the finer details. If his guess is not wrong, Rias will probably try to bait him in with a bit of information, slowly trying to make him give up those details. Unfortunately for Rias, it's a pity that her game plan is easy to predict. Such things are easy to predict, especially when you've frequently interacted with a politician.

Unfortunately for him, however, his prediction is on point as Rias speaks once more. "I apologize for assuming earlier, Akira-kun. To put it simply..." Right as Rias is about to continue, she is cut off by something that's glowing on the floor. Ok, judging by Rias' reaction, his prediction is about to be shot to hell. It appears to be some sort of circle with an ornate symbol, although the symbol looks familiar, perhaps he's seen it somewhere before in a passing moment? That would be the only possible option because frankly speaking, such a unique crest would be hard to forget. However, something about that circle instinctively makes him keep his guard up. After all, the mana pulsing through that circle is clearly some sort of magic spell, although he doesn't have any idea as to what it would do. The closest thing that he could think of would be a teleportation spell. It can't be, right?

"Hey, Rias-san. Is that some kind of teleporting magic that I'm not aware of?" Her flabbergasted reaction is all that he needs is for confirmation. She doesn't come up with a response in time, as the circle teleportation spell finishes its work, causing a red light to engulf the clubroom. While it is blinding, it is not to the point where he can't see the silhouette of the person that's arrived in the clubroom. Judging by the silhouette, it's probably an adult and a female at that.

"Grayfia-san? Why are you here?" As the light dies down, Rias is the first to speak. Akira silently takes in the now identified Grayfia's appearance. She's wearing a maid uniform, and she looks as if she was born for wearing such an outfit. Her beauty certainly matches the frigidness that's coming off her, and something tells Akira that she's the strongest person that he's seen in a while. Still, he cannot help but think back to the crest on the circle earlier. Then it clicks. Person isn't the right word to describe her. Or any of them, as a matter of fact.

"You all... are devils." He wasn't willing to believe his thoughts at first, even after Igor had spoken to him earlier. But the crest, it was the last piece of the puzzle that confirmed his thoughts. He had indeed seen it before, having flipped through the Ars Goetia once when he was bored. "That magic circle, it contained the crest of Gremory, one of the 72 families from the Ars Goetia." He added on as a clarification, although the shock is evident from everyone's face, even the person who just teleported in. Asia, is still clearly shocked However, she is the first to recover, her surprise now replaced by a poker face. Seems like she's adept at concealing her emotions.

"Ojou-sama, do you mind explaining the situation?" Sure enough, even her tone carries that same frigidness that would probably put people on edge. Akira sighs. This night is turning out much more troublesome that he'd expected it to be.

"Grayfia-san, why are you here?"

"The Lucifer was rather concerned for his sister after one of our detection wards near the church detected a rather considerable spike of power, and I decided to come here to alleviate his worries so that he can continue to do his work in peace. Although I presume the incident has been resolved?" Of course, it had to be related to him. Fuck. He isn't one to curse, but he isn't exactly at his best right now. This could potentially turn into a hostile situation, after all. And did she say The Lucifer?

 **"The Lucifuge doesn't mean me, of course."** Lucifer's words reassure him slightly, although it does bring up a few more questions. If she doesn't mean the Lucifer in his mind, then who does she mean? And how was Rias related to the Lucifer as a sister, given how she's supposed to be a Gremory and her expression has confirmed it more or less? And the Lucifuge? Was he referring to Grayfia? It just doesn't make sense. **"The Lucifuge is a clan. Their only reason to exist is to serve the Lucifer. I imagined they named someone from the House of Gremory as the new Lucifer after I died."** Hold up, wait what? The Lucifer died?

Unfortunately, the ultimate Persona of the Star Arcana deigns to give another response, instead opting to stay silent. Of course, his Personae would still be as whimsical as ever, especially the more powerful ones. Still, with the Father of Lies at the forefront of his mind, he should be able to win should it ever come down to a fight. "No, the incident hasn't been resolved yet. We're still trying to get an account or two, and we believe him to be the cause according to the account by the nun over there." Rias quickly gestures at him and Asia as she speaks. The next moment, Grayfia turns to face him, her green orbs peering at his crimson red ones.

A surge of energy runs through him, the effects of Victory Cry finally performing its magic by washing away his fatigue. How odd. It should have activated the moment the battle at the church ended unless there was some sort of restriction that prevented it from taking place immediately, forcing some kind of delay to occur. He can feel some sort of pressure emanating from her, trying to pressure him. It may be subtle, but it is enough for him to notice. So, this is how they want to play it, huh?

"Yes. I was the one who caused it." So be it. He will play this little game to the end. If she thinks that she can sic a devil on him, and a stronger than average opponent to extort information out of him, Rias is sorely mistaken. "Let's prove her wrong, shall we?" He responds to the devil within his mind.

 **"Right behind you."** The approval from the Father of Lies is expected, as Lucifer is one who derives amusement from such... trifling things like politics. He unleashes a sliver of Lucifer's power to match the subtle frigidness that's currently being emanated by the maid, more than enough to stand against the slight pressure while establishing his own power. To let her know that he's able to match her in a fight if it ever comes down to it. A flicker of surprise runs through her eyes again, but she cooly maintains her facade as she asks a question.

"What are your intentions?" The frigidness of her voice cuts through the tension like a knife through butter, but Akira is ready for it. No one could possibly hope to daunt him just like that. For one who's been face to face with life and death situations in Palaces and against a God, a little intimidation tactic is nothing. Still, he cannot help but feel that something about her screams deadliness, as if she's been tempered through life and death situations as well.

"Nothing much. I was just hoping to get a proper education here in Kuoh, but a chain of events led me to reawaken something I thought long gone." He responds with a vague answer.

"What is the power you wield?" So she thinks she can squeeze answers out of him just like this? To the devils in this room, he may look like a fruit ripe for picking. Unfortunately, they have underestimated him. For one who's managed to weasel his way out of sticky situations with words alone, he's more experienced than most of the people in the room, except for perhaps the woman in front of him. He also happens to have ancient beings within him who are more than capable of assisting him in such situations, an advantage that he holds.

"I don't see why I should answer your questions without you answering some of mine." He quickly retorts. After all, this is a good time to figure things out. But, as he continues to talk, something else clicks. There are too many questions to ask right now, and he probably can't extract every single answer out. Thus, he decides to go with the first thing that comes to mind. After all, it'd been bothering him the most, of all things. "Why would someone so high up the food chain come down here for a mere burst of power? Judging by your words earlier and your control over your power, you should be pretty strong and high up the hierarchy. A mere burst of power shouldn't have warranted an investigation, or at best, it would have been some cannon fodder coming down to check it out, rather than you. So why exactly are you here?"

"..." Grayfia deigns to respond, and Akira quickly thinks. A surge of power that warranted an investigation by a higher up, just what kind of power would need to alert her. Why would she...

Oh. He is an idiot. How did he not even consider this possibility back then?! Shit! Although it might be kind of far fetched, it is the only possibility that he can think of at this point.

The maid's eyes narrow, as if he's given some sort of indication that gave away his thoughts. But it doesn't matter since he's about to speak his mind anyway. "I suppose that the rupture of power that occurred today wouldn't happen to coincidentally be the same that was released on the 23rd of December, 2016, only that this time it's on a much smaller scale?"

"Who exactly are you?" Her question and her low, wary tone are all that he needs for confirmation. He can feel the temperature of the room beginning to drop into the single digits, almost reaching zero degrees within a few seconds as frost begins to form in the room, from the oak table to the couch to his bag. The cold, however, does not bother him. He's been subjected to colder environments courtesy of Justine, through the usage of her Ice Age skill when he fought against the twins. This is nothing, compared to the frigidness that penetrated deeply into his body back then.

"Kurusu Akira. Age 18. A human." He goes with a basic introduction, although Grayfia clearly isn't buying it.

"The power you display is anything but a human's." Her retort is quick.

"And you believe that a human cannot wield it? Sorry to disappoint you, but I am a human. Just that I've been..." He tries to find the right term. Is it really a blessing or a curse? A matter like this, its impact can only be seen in the long run. "Given these powers, and I intend to wield it against those who would hold hostile intentions against me." He lets out enough power to match the current output of Grayfia's as an emphasis to his statement.

"A power that's not a Sacred Gear can be this strong?" He hears the rhetorical question from Rias, noting the two words, Sacred Gear, and mentally prioritizing them as one of the terms that needed research at the next possible moment.

"Yes." He then looks across the room. Against the pressure, it appears that some of the ORC members are having trouble standing upright, especially Issei and surprisingly, Kiba. Koneko doesn't look to be affected in the least, while Akeno maintains her Onee-sama smile and Rias wears an expression of seriousness. Well, it seems that he won't be getting answers out of them anytime soon, it would be best to leave soon. "Tell that false Lucifer this, if he thinks that he's capable of coming up against me and Satanael, feel free to come and do so." He walks for the door, each footstep sounding more ominous to the ORC and Grayfia more than the last.

"Wait! What is your relationship with him?" There is a hint of authority in her voice still. Perhaps he should knock it down a notch?

"I am thou, thou art I. That is the vow we share. Amongst the things that we have in common, we don't respond well to those who think that they have the authority to order us around. The repercussions can be rather... severe. Have a good night." He ends it off with a devilish grin, a clear warning sign to them as he walks out of the ORC clubroom. As he finally hears the door shut behind him, his tensed shoulders immediately relax.

How the hell had it all gone wrong? He was simply trying to collect information, but it somehow ended up with him potentially making an enemy in the form of the Devils, and he even managed to somehow issue a challenge to the false Lucifer that was probably the leader of the race. Such actions tend to have led him into precarious situations. He sighs, thinking about his current situation, before bringing out his phone. Huh, would Ryuji be awake at this time? On second thought, he decides to put away his phone, noting that it's actually 4 am in the morning somehow. It's actually this late?

Azazel's POV

"Yo, Dohanseek! How's the assignment going in Kuoh?" He calls out in a cheerful manner, having put his phone in speaker mode as he continues to play his game. Azazel hardly ever receives calls from his subordinates since most of them would rather prefer to report to Shem or Baraqiel for some reason. Only a select few actually bother to do so, Dohanseek being one of the few.

Instead of a cool, calm and collected voice that greets him from the other end of the phone, the first thing he hears is Dohanseek breathing heavily, gasping for air as if he's been flying non-stop for hours on end. No, given Dohanseek's endurance and previous role, he would have been able to fly for an hour at most. "Azazel-sama!" Finally, he speaks, but the way he gasps his name in a desperate manner immediately makes him go into a state of alertness. There's only one reason why. Something bad happened in Kuoh. Immediately, he turns off the console, fully focused on the conversation.

"Dohanseek. What happened in Kuoh?" This time, his voice is hard. There is no hint of the cheerfulness from before.

" _H-He_ actually appeared in Kuoh of all places..." Dohanseek's murmur catches him off guard for a second.

"Impossible. You mean _H_ _im_? Why would he willingly choose to reveal himself?" Disbelief is the first emotion that he displays. After all, it'd been only half a year ago or so since his last appearance.

"We were trying to extract the Twilight Healing Sacred Gear, as per your orders that were relayed to Raynare through Kokabiel. That was when he showed up. At first, we thought him to be just a human who was in the wrong place, but who would have known..." Kokabiel relayed false orders with his name?! Shit, Kokabiel was moving faster than he'd anticipated. But now wasn't the time to even consider such things. After all, he's lacking the luxury of time to think about such things as of now.

"What happened to the rest of your squad?"

"I told them, Azazel-sama! I tried to warn them, but they wouldn't listen! But they wouldn't listen. Said that they could take him, a mere six-winged on." His blood runs cold at those words as Dohanseek laughs at the end of his words. Sure, it is possible to take on such an opponent as long as your squad has the proper coordination and conditions. However, Raynare's squad not only lacked the coordination, but they also called him a "mere six-winged". _He_ wouldn't let that insult settle, no matter what. Not if _he_ valued his pride.

Finally, Dohanseek calms down. "What's your current status?"

"I'm heading back to the church to investigate. My chances of running into him should be l-" He doesn't complete the sentence. What happened? "Kala...le...nar? ..liv..?" He hears some sort of conversation on his end of the phone, but he can't make out anything coherent from the conversation.

"Hello? Dohanseek, you there?"

"My apologies, Azazel-sama. The rest of my squad has survived and managed to escape safely. I'm putting you on loudspeaker." Azazel thinks for a second, before responding.

"No, don't. Go to my safehouse in Kuoh and stay there. Do not move from there. I'll personally come in two days and receive your report." As much as he would like to hear the entire report, he's going to have to convene a meeting for a few reasons. After all, massive changes are about to occur in the Supernatural World and he'll at least like to be prepared for it. As he hangs up, he sighs, before dialling up Shemhazial's number.

"Azazel, You hardly ever call on your own accord. What is it?"

"Gather everyone as soon as possible, but don't bother with Kokabiel. He's turned traitor to the Khaos Brigade."

"What? Are you sure?" The shock from Shem is expected. A pity that it's still not the kicker.

"We wouldn't be having this phone call in the first place if I wasn't sure." Another sigh escapes his mouth as he stands up. When did heading a faction become so complicated? Traitors, an old acquaintance that had the power to shake the Supernatural coming back, what next? Perhaps he should stop tinkering with the Downfall Dragon Spear for a bit, especially since he's entering the final stages of testing already.

"Alright, I'll get everyone. Penemue should be there within the hour, although Baraqiel might take slightly longer. Armaros shouldn't take too long, he's mostly just wrapping up for the night. Although, Sahariel might take some effort to convince." Right, Sahariel. He's fond of researching the Moon.

"Just tell him that it concerns _Him_ as well."

"Wait, are you serious?" A pity he can't see the expression on Shem's face right now. It would be quite priceless.

"I wouldn't have bothered asking you to gather everyone in the first place, just you, Baraqiel and Vali would have been enough if we only had to deal with Kokabiel turning traitor."

"Very well then. I'll make sure that everyone's gathered within the hour. Just don't be late."

"Hey, who do you take me for?" He shouts indignantly, although Shem already has a quick counter prepared.

"You're probably still in your lab, testing that artificial Sacred Gear of yours. I swear if you do not get out of there within the next thirty minutes, I will personally come and drag your sorry ass out." With that, the connection is cut. Azazel cannot help but lament his fate, as he begins to slowly pack his materials. Perhaps he could indulge in some games when he heads to Kuoh, but he's got no choice but to attend this meeting for now. Especially when it concerns the direction that his faction will be heading in the coming months.

Why did he have to agree to be the Governor of the Grigori again?

 _Saturday Morning, ORC Clubroom_

Rias' POV

A sigh from her breaks the silence in the clubroom. After all, she's just lost probably one of her greatest chances to get out of the marriage. Even if she manages to sway Akira to her side somehow, it's pretty much impossible to reincarnate him into her servant, as the Evil Pieces have a failsafe to prevent Kings from reincarnating those who are stronger than the King unless they are willing to be reincarnated. Unless you suppress the person's power levels to below the King's level or the person is already subservient beforehand, it is impossible for such a thing to occur. The method isn't exactly a proper loophole either since the Beelzebub's inventions are actually perceptive enough to see through most suppressive enchantments.

Worst of all, Akira has already stated that he's not receptive to authority, which means that there's no way that he'd ever let her willingly reincarnate him into a servant. That power that he released, however... As much as Rias wanted to deny it, something within that power had wanted to make her submit earlier. She could still feel it. The feeling of her blood, the Gremory and Bael blood within her screaming at her to submit to him, of all people. The question was, why? Why did she feel like actually submitting to him, much like a subject before a King.

She surveys the seemingly empty room, Grayfia having left first before Kiba and Koneko were conveniently summoned for contracts. Issei had left to bring Asia back to his house while Akeno had been forced to tend to an issue of her own. Despite what it seemed like back when Akira was in the room, the waves of power that Akira had let out happened to affect Akeno the most. After all, her inner nature was one that could hardly be suppressed, especially when in the face of such a dominating presence.

"Buchou. I'm done." Akeno steps out of the shower, fully clothed thankfully. It would be be quite the situation should Akeno stepped out in any less than a properly dressed state if Issei happens to come back at this moment and that's the last thing she needs.

"I hope you've got yourself settled now?"

"Yes, Buchou." Akeno proceeds to nod her head, hanging up the towel on one of the coat racks that are placed around the room. A short period of silence soon follows.

"I don't think I can recruit him, Akeno. What should I do?" She breaks the silence with her admission. It is hard for her to say these words, and each word feels more difficult to get out than the last. After all, no matter in which field, Rias Gremory is a proud person who doesn't like to admit her mistakes and her flaws. She is the strong, confident and proud lady of the school. Having to admit that she's unable to do something is akin to a harsh blow to her pride, even if she only confides it to her best friend, Akeno.

"I think you should try to just be on friendly terms with him at best. Also, the name that he spoke earlier troubles me." What name? Oh right, Satanael. But who exactly is Satanael?

"I...I have no idea who exactly that person is." She admits once more. Having received tutelage about the world from a young age due to her identity of her heiress, she knows of most of the mythological beings that exist in the world. But yet, she has never learnt of that name before. "But for the name itself to invoke such a reaction from Grayfia, it troubles me."

"You've never heard of him?" A rare frown finds its way onto Akeno's face as well.

"No. I think I'll ask my parents." She sighs, before taking out her phone. There was a reason why she rarely called home, after all.

 **A/N: I know that this chapter is long overdue, I'm sorry. But school's been harsh with the new semester and shit, and I didn't really have too much time to write since I'm constantly being called for interviews for scholarship and for my application to join the school committee as well. I also had to deal with my bursary, so yeah, it's been one hell of a month so far.** **I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible, although I'm not sure when exactly I can get it out. So yeah, sorry for the long ass delay.**

 **I tried to portray the situation in a much more realistic situation, to be honest although I'm not too sure if I managed to accomplish it. I admit, the Akira portion might have gone a bit far, but I think I managed to get the rest right. Let me know what yall think about this approach.**

 **Anyways, I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter and leave a review if you guys think that there's room for improvement or any requests that you want! Some requests will be considered. Feel free to PM me if you want. Absurd requests are obviously not allowed and dun flame. I am only an amateur at this shit.**

 **On that note, peace out people!**

 **322n**

 **Songs:**

 **ISSA - Justiφ(Pronounced as JustFaiz)**

 **ISSA, Shuta Shueyoshi - Over "Quartzer"**

 **Aya Kamiki, TAKUYA - W-B-X ~W-Boiled Extreme~**

 **Daichi Miura - EXCITE**

 **Gackt - Journey through the Decade**


	7. Complications

**Responding to reviews 101**

 **Gamelover41592: It's gonna be a slow progression thing as of now since Rias might try to repair their relationship. Who knows? They won't fanboy, that's for sure. Issei? Perhaps, but might see Akira as more of a role model rather than go full on fanboy mode. The others? I doubt so.**

 **bennyf5302: It's how I feel Akira acts. I think that Akira's the kind to stand up for himself, even in unfavourable situations even if he's mostly lowkey. Also, he's actually being influenced by his Persona, whether he knows it or not.**

 **ChimaTigaon: Who knows?**

 **UltimateKuuga: Mostly in the background in the last chapter. Because the thing is, in the last chapter, he was more of a side character as I focused more on Grayfia, Rias and Akira rather than focus on everyone. There's always the rule that might is right, and that's why Issei and the rest of Rias' peerage become side characters because they don't have enough influence/power to actually talk.**

 **SliverIceRing: Yeah, I wasn't too sure about that part. Thanks for pointing out my pitfall. I'll try to rectify that in my future chapters.**

 **ClearwingYuta: I mean, he's being lowkey most of the time so it's hard to tell when his Personae influence him a lot of the time. It's mostly going to be subtle changes most of the times, but the most visible effects are probably going to happen during combat or when he's pushed into some kind of situation like the last chapter. Also yes, I am admittedly a fan of Kamen Rider, I've been following the series ever since Kamen Rider Blade was first aired.**

 **trentmillenium619: Again, Akira's mostly in the dark about the world of DxD, so he doesn't know too much when it comes to the situation. It's one of the reasons why he thinks he's been too rash, plus he's mostly trying to just get things figured out, not start a fight. My favourite rider is probably Kamen Rider W(Double) or Kamen Rider OOO. It's honestly hard to choose between the two, especially since both of them have great themes and how the story develops for Phillip and Ankh respectively. As for Zi-O? I honestly think that it's not too bad although the start was a bit rough. The theme is good though, not going to lie. I like how their later parts are pretty good though. I might make a Kamen Rider fanfic in the future, but it's gonna be a long while before I might ever do one. I do have a one-shot stored somewhere, it's one of those things that I wrote on a whim.**

 **panda: I'm still contemplating about it. Also, we're still in the early stages of the fanfic so I can't say/promise too much. We'll see how the story progresses.**

 **Matemeo3: I'm glad you like it. I admit, Akira was acting a bit OOC back there, but it's mostly thanks to my writing skills lol. I can only pray that I don't repeat the same mistake. As for Akira not collapsing, I honestly was planning to go with it at first. But something felt off about just pulling that because it felt kind of lazy if I did that, so I decided to not do that in the end, since I think that opting to continue all the way would be the better choice. Plus, Akira's still a rebel, in the end, there's no fucking way he's gonna collapse just like that, it's too OOC I think.**

 _Saturday Morning, ORC Clubroom_

Rias' POV

"Rias! You finally call back now? It's been three months since you last called! If it wasn't for Grayfia constantly checking up on you, I would have dragged you back to the Underworld already, young miss! You may be the next Head of Gremory but I wouldn't tolerate your insolence like this!" Rias cannot help but sigh weakly, as she holds the phone away from her ear for a bit. As soon as her mother is done, Rias seizes this chance to quickly put her phone to her ear and speak before Venelana can continue her tirade.

"I'm sorry, Mom. But I need your help with something." She quickly speaks, just in time as her mother pauses, about to speak once more.

"What did you just say?" Her irate tone is suddenly gone with a second, replaced with disbelief. Rias mentally sighs in relief this time.

"I need your help, Mom."

"What do you need help with? If it's about your marriage, you know that I can't do anything about it." Her mother warns, but she brushes that aside for now. That isn't the purpose of this call anyways.

"Not that, Mom. It's something else. We encountered someone who is clearly a supernatural figure, but..." Rias hesitates, not knowing how to proceed next. If it is indeed the fault of the tutors, her mother would definitely seek them out in order to dish out retribution. Such is the temper of her mother, whose sin happens to be the sin of Wrath. Do something to her, and she'll pay you back with interest. It's also something that she doesn't want to befall onto her tutors who'd mostly treated her well.

"But what?"

"But I can't seem to find his name anywhere. I don't ever recall such a name being taught to me by the tutors when I was young." As much as she doesn't want to throw her old tutors to the wolves, she's got no other option at this point.

"What's his name?"

"Satanael. Do-"

"Rias. Where in the world did you find him? How did you come across him in the first place?" She can hear her mother's tone stiffening immediately after being cut off and she shudders. The room feels as if it has dropped by several degrees for Rias, even though her mother is not physically present. Rias is no longer speaking to her mother anymore. She is speaking to the Madame of Extinction, the strongest woman of the House of Bael, the Wife of Zeoticus Gremory and the Mother of Sirzechs Lucifer and Rias Gremory.

"He's a student at my school and I assumed him to be human at first because he displayed no magical capabilities, but he'd showed potential to be a great Bishop, that's why I decided to try and recruit him into my peerage."

"You tried to recruit him into your peerage?! I'm coming over, you can tell me the exact details when we meet. And I want the whole truth of it, nothing less." The connection is cut immediately, leaving her with nothing but static. And dread, as a teleportation circle fills the room with an eerie red glow, as if signifying the coming of an inevitable doom.

 _Saturday Evening, Shrine_

Akira's POV

The sight of Morgana prodding his body with a paw is the first thing he sees with his bleary eyes upon waking up. "You awake yet? You've been sleeping for the whole day, it's unlike you." Akira can only opt to sit up, rubbing his eyes as he tries to recall the incident from last night. Then Morgana's words click. Whole day?

"Wait. I've been sleeping for that long?"

"Yeah. It's already 6.53pm already. You're lucky Lady Akeno actually fed me for breakfast and left some for lunch, otherwise, your face would be full of scratches." Oh. He should really thank Akeno sometime soon, although their current situation is...less savoury that he would like it to be. After all, the incident from yesterday is still no doubt fresh in their minds. "So... mind telling me what happened at the church yesterday?"

Akira sighs. As much as he didn't want to clear this hurdle, this obstacle was still going to approach him sooner or later. "Let me freshen up, then we'll talk. My breath stinks." He tries to go for a delay since he also really needs to sort out his own thoughts as well. There are some things that he needs to clear up in his mind before he actually speaks of what he knows as well, so talking immediately isn't too much of an option as of now.

"Sure. You stink anyway." Morgana pads away, leaving him to grab his clothes as he heads to the bathroom to collect his thoughts.

So to put it simply, he's now actually residing at the home of a devil, who happens to be the servant of one of the most popular girls in school. There are angels, fallen angels and devils present in the world, hidden away from sight. There may also be more hidden forces in the world that he does not know of just yet, although he has some inkling as to who might be lurking around. Well, at least he might get some answers.

"Hey, Kushinada-Hime?" He decides to go with the local deities in his mind first, calling upon the wife of Susanoo. She is probably going to be one of the more receptive ones in this situation.

 **"So, you've finally thought of coming to us for answers?"** Her voice does little to disguise the mirth in her tone. Akira simply ignores her playful jab and keeps his stoic mask up.

"You know what I want to know." He plainly states. Unfortunately, having conversations with some of the stronger Personae, or those with divinity running through their veins tend to be more of a headache than anything, especially since they like to speak in circles most of the time. Many derive their amusement from such thing, Kushinada-Hime being one of those people. But if he wants to get answers, she's probably one of the better people to ask, her being the wife of Susanoo according to myth. He would ask Kohryu, perhaps the wisest Persona currently in his arsenal, but the dragon makes for a conversationalist just about as well as Igor.

 **"That much is true. So, what do you think?"** He can feel her smirking in his subconsciousness. Sighing, Akira takes his time to think about his experience that he's had in the Hidden World so far, as Igor calls it.

"I think that... everyone has to have some sort of origin. The legends that make you all Personae, some may be right, some not. But it doesn't matter to you all, because you Personae are all comprised of the legends, even if they are false." He hesitates, not sure if his answer is correct. After all, he's only got a few examples so far.

 **"What makes you say that?"**

"Rias Gremory. She isn't like what devils from legends are."

 **"Congratulations. You are on the right path. To put it simply, yes. We do exist apart from being just a Persona. We also exist in actual forms, provided that we haven't** **died. Some myths might be false. For example, not all the devils are bloodthirsty people who see the world burn."** Right. Lucifer stated that he's already dead earlier. So does that mean that there's a version of Kushinada-Hime somewhere? **"As for how your battle against Yaldabaoth was never found out against the humans, I wouldn't put it past my brother-in-law and sister-in-law to wipe the memories from almost every human. No doubt that only those who were involved in the battle and any supernatural being's memories were not touched. Fighting against a God and killing him, it amazes me that you can still stay sane and collected."**

"What do you mean?"

 **"Do you really think that killing a God is not that big of a deal? Many from the mortal races would go crazy over such an accomplishment, even if they had to borrow the aid of someone else to do so. You killed him while being _both_ Satanael and a human. Do you understand what that entails?" **Oh.

"As much as I want to hear more, I think I'll set that aside for another time. Thank you, Kushinada-Hime." Surprisingly, it appears that Kushinada-Hime is very receptive today, otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to get so much information. But for now, there's only so much information that he can handle. The consequences of killing Yaldabaoth can come later.

" **Anytime.** " With that, he's left alone in the bathroom once more to ponder over the newfound information provided by his Persona. Now, how should he handle this?

 _1 shower later_

"So... where do I start? Do you want the long or short version?"

"From the church. And spare me the details for now." Akira sighs in relief. Recounting all the details would take far too long and his hunger is only growing as time passes.

"So I met a few fallen angels who tried to kill someone by extracting a Sacred Gear from them. I snapped, awakening Satanael and my other Personae in the process. I proceeded to beat up the fallen angels before I fainted and devils came to try and rescue the girl whom they nearly killed. I woke up in the school because apparently, that's where their hideout is and I tried to get some information but botched it completely. And now I'm here. Then I had a talk with Kushinada-Hime and she confirmed a few of my suspicions."

"So you're telling me that angels, fallen angels, devils exist? You made contact with the devils and you tried to get information but failed?" Somehow, Morgana has managed to summarize his words into two simple questions.

"Yeah." Akira sighs once more. "I messed up, but I couldn't stand the way they thought of me. They thought that I was nothing more than a fruit ripe for the picking and tried to force me to give information. I had to make of use of Lucifer and Satanael's power to make them back down. If they think they can try to push me around like that, they've got another thing coming."

"Good job, Akira." Akira smiles bitterly. He'd done one thing with quite the consequence, but it didn't matter anyway. He would have chosen the same course of action again, but now he's lacking when it comes to information. While his conversation with Kushinada-Hime has been enlightening, it is still not enough. "But there's more, isn't there?"

"Yes. I think I'll have to do something about it. But let's go and get dinner first. I'm famished." Akira grabs his bag, frowning slightly at the broken strap. Right, he'll need to get a new strap, or at least get it repaired as soon as possible. Or he simply could buy a new bag. His bank account is flooded with money after all.

"Wait."

"Yeah?"

"What about the others?" Akira bites the side of his cheek. That's the one topic that he'd hoped that Morgana wouldn't bring up.

"Not yet. We don't have all of the facts yet. There are more things we need to ascertain first." He comes up with a flimsy excuse, one that Morgana somehow buys as said feline begins to walk towards the door. Thankfully.

"Alright then. I'll trust you." The words seem to weigh heavily on his shoulders as he walks out of the shrine, looking up at the sky that was quickly turning dark. So much for not telling his friends, huh? But if their bonds meant anything, they would probably stand together and fight till the very end, just like they did with Yaldabaoth. He'll tell his friends eventually, that's for sure.

But dinner comes first.

 _Saturday Night, Shrine_

Akeno's POV

"Well, I really messed up, didn't' I?" Rias murmurs next to her. That much is true. However, the fact that Venelana allows the two of them to remain here instead of forcing them back into the Underworld is still considered a win in Akeno's book at least, even if both her and Rias had to endure a rather lengthy verbal onslaught in order for the situation to be like this. But the main thing is, they've managed to glean some details from the rant about Kurusu Akira.

"I don't think that we could have known that he is actually such a powerful person." After all, it is not every day that the Madame of Extinction speaks of someone with such a wary tone and even goes out of her way to deliver a strict warning.

"But still..." Unfortunately, Akeno does not have a response this time. Silence reigns, as she sips her tea once more while Rias continues to hold her cup while maintaining a seiza position. "You think he's still staying here?"

"His bags are still here and there are signs of him sleeping earlier. So, yes."

"I think I will have to apologize to him," Rias admits. Akeno raises an eye. That's the third time that she's willing to put aside her pride already.

"Well, at least you're willing to put aside your pride." Akeno mentally jumps at the voice that suddenly emerges from behind the door that divides the room and the hallway, although she already knows who it is. Thankfully, she manages to not visibly react at Akira's voice. "That's a good start." How had she not noticed him earlier?

The door slides open, revealing Akira dressed in nothing more than casual clothes and a bag as he leans against the door frame with his arms crossed. "You were listening in the whole time?"

"I just got back and overheard your conversation by accident." Akira shrugs, making her frown. Does he have no regard for privacy? "Plus, it's not like we're exactly on talking terms right now." Akeno has to admit, Akira has a point.

"How did you even hide?" Akeno knows the shrine like the back of her hand. The wooden planks that make up the floor are old, making it impossible for it to not creak while walking, no matter how hard she tried to walk sneakily. Yet, Akira had managed to somehow make little to no noise, while eavesdropping on the conversation.

"I have my ways." He shrugs. "Much like how you follow me back sometimes." Her eyes widen. How? She's pretty sure that her tailing skills are good enough, to make sure that no one is able to notice her. Then she realises the bigger problem at hand.

"What do you exactly want?" Akira laughs at her question.

"You're asking me that? You were the one who made the maid question me when I was already fine being alone. If you think that I am simply another chess piece on your board like the rest of your club, you're sorely mistaken." Strange. He did say that he knew nothing of the Supernatural world, so why would he reference the Peerage system at this point? Did he have some sort of external influence that aided him in his deficit of knowledge?

"How do you know of the peerage system?" Finally, Rias speaks up. It is rather strange for someone like Rias, who likes to have control of the situation, to not speak that much.

"What's that?" His confusion, however, destroys the earlier hypothesis that she had earlier. Truly, the person standing in front of her is an enigma. One who seems to to be capable of defying her expectations.

"You don't know of the peerage system that we use?" Akira appears to be in deep thought for a second, before opening his mouth again.

"Well, it did seem like Akeno, Yuuto-san, Toujo-san and Hyoudou-san were more subservient to you. And if you imply that the peerage system is based on chess, then you must be the King, am I right?" Rias cannot help but nod dumbly. It is expected, after all. For being able to infer such things just based off one or two minor details, his perception is good. "And since the King is an important piece in Chess, it's safe to say that not just anyone can become a King."

Ok, that probably has to be the cherry on top at this point. This is starting to get ridiculous, even for her. He's already managed to infer such important points of the devil hierarchy with such minor details, with accuracy to the point that it's slowly starting to get terrifying. "You're right in that regard. I suppose we might as well tell you about the devil society, huh? Since you've figured out so much." Rias' tone is unsurprisingly rather... tame, considering the fact that they are speaking to someone who is on the level of a faction leader.

"I don't want to just know about the devils. Tell me everything you know about the other two factions as well." Rias nods at that too. It's going to take a long time, but it helps that they don't have to be surprised by him anymore at this point. There's a limit of how much shock they can take, after all.

 _A long conversation later_

"Thank you for telling me." It's taken several hours, but they are finally done with it. At the very least, he'll be grateful about it and the bad first impression that they made would be more or less gone by now.

"No problem. Say... would you be interested in joining us for a trip to the Familiar Forest?" Akeno raises an eyebrow at that offer. Perhaps this is another way of Rias seeking forgiveness? After all, Akira would probably be able to secure a pretty strong familiar with his strength if he were given such an opportunity.

Akira is clearly contemplating it. "I thought only devils can have one?"

"The familiar forest isn't limited to just devils, although we devils do have a contract with some Familiar Masters who guide peerages to find some."

"Very well then. When is it?" In the end, it seems that the appeal of a familiar is

"Next Friday night. There will be a full moon by then and the Familiar Master will guide us to find one. I was planning to get one for Asia and Issei each, but I think you'll be able to get a pretty powerful one as well."

"Hold on." His voice takes a dangerous tone. Something about him begins to scream danger as his pupils turn crimson. Akeno bites her lip and while the two girls may seem calm, it is clear that both of them are beginning to panic. Was it something that Rias said? "Did you just say that Asia is in your peerage?"

"Yes. She willingly joined." Immediately, the feeling of danger subsides. Strange. It was as if Akira was trying to make sure that Asia chose to join the peerage of her volition.

"I see. I trust you will treat her well?"

"I will treat her like my own family." Rias' voice is solemn still.

"That's good. So, is there anything else I should know about the familiar forest?" It amazes Akeno how Akira is so calm and able to switch subjects like it's nothing, and how her friend is going with the flow.

"We'll have to win against Sona's peerage, which we are confident in winning. We'll be playing dodgeball next Thursday to determine whose peerage is going if you don't mind joining us." Akira smiles.

"I'll be looking forward to it then."

Azazel's POV

Normally, Azazel wouldn't dream of even arriving earlier than the time that he stipulates himself, but unfortunately, due to circumstances and a certain Secretary, he's forced to come to his own apartment and pick up his subordinates. It's honestly quite a shame since he could have spent the time remaining before the agreed time to go and finetune his spear a bit more.

Now, to deal with the matter at hand. The moment he opens up the door, however, the sight of Mittelt and Raynare playing _HIS_ video games greets him. Dohanseek is lying down on one of the couches with a newspaper covering his head, while Kalawarner is apparently nowhere to be seen. The living room appears to be somewhat clean, but it shows signs of people having actually lived there for a while and he hasn't been to this apartment in months! Ok, hold up. How did this place become a home within the span of a day? "What's going on here?"

"Azazel-sama!" Raynare is the first to react, dropping the game controller in surprise. "We thought you weren't coming for another day!" Apparently, turns out that her surprise shout is enough to more than just stir Dohanseek from his nap, said fallen angel falling down from the couch in surprise. Mittelt hurriedly pauses the game, just as Kalawarner steps out from one of the rooms to see Azazel standing out at the front door, freezing in place.

"Well, circumstances forced me to act otherwise. So...anybody willing to tell me what happened?" As much as he doesn't want to get down to business, it's not an option right now.

Silence reigns for a few seconds before Dohanseek is the first to speak up, having settled back on the couch in a sitting position.

"Satanael showed up. Who would have known that he hid so deeply to the point where he bonded with a human?" Azazel widened his eyes. He bonded with a human? That would mean that some serious things. To put it simply, when a supernatural being bonded with a human being, it created a unique situation where the human was both the supernatural being and himself at the same time. It was like having two different identities, in the literal sense. "When we found him, he practically had no presence." Dohanseek proceeds to laugh manically next, recalling what happened. Whatever happened next, it had to be pretty bad for someone like Dohanseek, who was a veteran of the war, to act like that.

"Then that mana surge! A mask manifested on his face, and he ripped it away without any hesitation! Even his skin was gone with that mask, just like that!" Azazel winced. That had to be pretty painful, although he never heard of having to manifest a bond like that. For the most part, the bonds made it such that one of the two would be the dominant presence at any given time. "Blue flames covered him and when he reappeared, Satanael was behind him, and the human was holding Paradise Lost! Did you know how terrified I felt?" Now, that was truly interesting. He'd never heard of a bond where the Supernatural Being and human could exist at the same time.

"Dohanseek. Breath." Listening to his advice, Dohanseek takes a few deep breaths to calm himself before continuing his side of the story.

"I'm sorry, Azazel-sama. But it felt like I was like an ant before a giant, waiting to be crushed. Even though he was clearly holding back his power, it still frightened me. My first instinct was to get everyone to flee, but no one bothered to listen to me." Dohanseek ends his tale there, visibly shaking. Azazel sighs. Of course, what Dohanseek felt could never be properly described. For one, Dohanseek was older than the rest of the fallen angels except for him, his experience surpassing others and was what allowed him to identify the danger that was Satanael and the human. Secondly, Dohanseek was a Bookkeeper before falling, which made his knowledge of Supernatural Beings surpass others by a large margin.

"It's fine, Dohanseek. No one's faulting you for being scared." He can't exactly do much to console him, and he isn't exactly an expert at the subject of the heart(well for his fellow gender at the very least).

"So, what happened next, Raynare? No, actually, before that. Tell me what you guys were doing. There must have been something that you were doing to a human that would raise his ire." Raynare swallows. Is she worried about something?

"We were asked by Kokabiel to extract the Sacred Gear, Twilight Healing from a nun. The extraction would have killed her." She explains. Azazel sighs. If this isn't another clear sign of Kokabiel turning traitor, he won't know what else is. But for now, back to the main point of this conversation.

"Well, Satanael does treasure human life. You did something that pretty much made him snap. You're lucky you even got away alive in the first place." To be honest, they're pretty lucky. After all, Satanael does value the fact that everyone should have a choice, no matter what. Even humans, the weakest of the races.

"Well, I guess the three of you are still going to have to go back to the Grigori and do a formal report."

"Three?" Mittelt questions.

His resolute answer proceeds to shock all of them next. After all, what he is about to do is something that the four fallen in front of him wouldn't even think about doing. "Raynare's going to stay here with me to find Satanael, and we're going to find him even if we have to anger the Four Satans."

 **A/N: Yeah, it's been a month blah blah blah but here's your update. Sorry, I've been dealing with some issues of my own and writing essays for my school work alone is already pretty tiring, which is why I only try to update once a month and not push it any further than that.** **This is probably one of my shorter chapters, to be honest. Next chapter will be about the familiar forest(obviously) and stuff. Well, I don't got too much to say so ye.**

 **Anyways, I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter and leave a review if you guys think that there's room for improvement or any requests that you want! Some requests will be considered. Feel free to PM me if you want. Absurd requests are obviously not allowed and dun flame. I am only an amateur at this shit.**

 **On that note, peace out people!**

 **322n**

 **Songs:**

 **Hiroshi Kitadani - Revolution**

 **Labour Day - Extreme Dream**

 **Shu Watanabe & Ryosuke Miura - Time Judged All**

 **Shu Watanabe - Sun Goes Up**

 **Hiroaki Iwanaga & Asaya Kimijima - Reverse/Re:birth**

 **Gaku Sano - Rise up your Flag**


	8. For The Familiar Forest

**Responding to Reviews 101**

 **Robby the Cyber Warrior: Honestly, that's just a mistake on my part. My bad.**

 **Matmeo3: Some pieces will take longer to clash than others, that's for sure. But interesting things will happen.**

 **DALucifer13: The Persona wiki has a list of which Personae the MCs have and don't have. I believe you can find your answer there. However, I'm pretty sure that Akira doesn't have Helel and Kaguya as of now.**

 **xDarkedgex: It's going to be quite the experience for Michael and pretty much any other mythological figure that Akira/the other MCs have as Personae, to say the least. Plus, no one except for the residents of the Velvet Room and the Persona users knows what Personae exactly are, so it's going to be pretty fun to write.**

 _Thursday Night, Sports Hall_

He looks at the massive sports hall in front of him. It probably shouldn't be called a sports hall. A sports complex would be the more appropriate term here, given its sheer size. Well, tonight happens to be the night when they play to determine who goes to the familiar forest and he's going to try and vie for the opportunity to do so, given how most of his Personae had been in consent with the idea. Plus, he can't deny it, the idea of a familiar does sound pretty tempting especially if it helps for what's about to come.

As soon as he enters the sports complex, pretty much every movement stops. The Sitri peerage is warming up on the other side of the Sports Hall, having placed their items at the side and were warming up with stretches. The same goes for the Gremory peerage, except that they are on the opposite side of the court, separated by a single line. Admittedly, the sight in front of his eyes is quite appealing, especially when every girl present is wearing nothing but bloomers and a shirt that did little to nothing to conceal their bust. However, he quickly tears his eyes away from the sight. He may be a male, but he isn't like a certain brown-haired pervert, who is pretty much ignoring his presence, every ounce of his being focused on staring at the girls.

However, Sona's the first to react. "Rias. I wasn't aware that he joined your peerage." A frown covers her face. However, Akira decides to correct that misconception.

"I'm not part of her peerage. I just wanted to go to the Familiar Forest since it sounded pretty interesting and Rias offered." Akira shrugs, placing his bag at the side. He's already changed before coming, so it doesn't matter.

"So you're a magician who formed a pact with Rias? Which association are you part of?" Why do people always assume that he is part of an organization of sorts?

"I'm not a magician. And I'm loyal to no one." Sona frowns, about to ask another question.

Thankfully, Rias intercepts her first, saving him the trouble. "I'll explain later in private, Sona. We're meant to be playing dodgeball anyways." He shoots a grateful smile to Rias, before joining her peerage. From the looks of it, there are seven of them, including him in this team while Sona's peerage has 8 people. It seems fair enough, as one of Sona's peerage will no doubt be playing the role of the umpire.

"Very well then. So, that means that one of my peerage members will be off the field. I'll let Reya be the judge. That fine with you?" Akira smiles. It doesn't matter to him, to be honest. Hell, they could start using magic and he wouldn't care. After all, a single Heat Riser would no doubt be able to take care of any pitfalls that he might face later on.

"Sup." He decides to talk to Issei first. Despite the situation, Issei is probably one of the more receptive people to his presence.

"Akira-senpai! How are you?" His response is not without gusto, as expected.

"I'm good. Although you should focus on the game, it's about to begin." Cue whistle blow. He rushes off, aiming for two balls. He can hear footsteps behind him, which means that someone else is also running for the ball. A second later, Kiba passes him, arriving at the balls a split second before him. So this is the speed of a Knight? Good to know. Nothing he can't handle. He silently swaps to Mada as his main Persona as he heads back with the last ball, who has the ability to grant him a burst of speed and strength at once without casting any spells for a while thanks to Auto-Masukukaja and Auto-Matarukaja. Thankfully, the devils on his side aren't affected and they don't seem to be aware of what just happened.

So, there are 3 balls each side and- His train of thought is cut short as he dodges a throw from someone with a quick flip/step to the side on instinct who probably has to be a Rook, since his hair almost got messed up in the process. Thankfully, he still retains his instinct from being a Phantom Thief, along with his agility. He notices Yura, who looks as if she's slightly impressed. So she wants to play with him? He'll oblige. Koneko hurls another ball, alongside Kiba first. Unfortunately, both miss their mark.

It's showtime. He moves back for a second, hiding in the shadow, waiting for the perfect opportunity. According to the rules, Sona's team would have to throw at least 1 ball now, since they have more balls. Sure enough, a few seconds later, three people come forth to throw, including Yura. Perfect. He mentally swaps back to Satanael for his marksmanship quickly, preparing himself. Before they can throw, he dashes over and hurls the ball at Yura.

The whistle is blown. "Yura-san is out," Akira smirks. Easy.

"Sugoi, Akira-senpai! I didn't even see you throw that ball." Akira shrugs. It's nothing much, to be honest. He managed to conceal himself in such a way that only someone, like Reya, who has a bird's eye view of the situation, will know where exactly he is at all times. And his speed, having been boosted, makes for a quick entrance, enough to make sure that his target, who was a Rook, had little chance of escaping.

"It's nothing much, although you should be paying attention." He dodges another ball, having seen it coming. From his observation, Issei does not appear to have any special traits, which is to be expected for he's a Pawn.

"Toujou-san is out." So, the hard hitter on their team got knocked out? Well, this does makes things slightly tricky? Now... what to do?

 _Five minutes later_

About time. Sona is the first to hurl a magic-enhanced ball at his team. So they've finally started playing with magic? Unfortunately, the resulting ball is a speedball that is fast enough to outmatch even the likes of Kiba, who is a Knight piece. Cue whistle blow. "Yuuto-san is out!" So it's just left 4 people, huh? He can feel his physical ability returning back to normal now, an indication that Mada's buffs have already run out.

"So we're playing with magic now? I won't lose, Sona!" Rias retaliates swiftly with a ball covered in what appears to be a light coating of her signature Power of Destruction. Damm, this is getting slightly dangerous admittedly. If Sona uses whatever magic she specializes in as well, it might turn into a fight with injuries. Heck, the situation probably is going to devolve into a brawl with balls at this point.

"Ruruko-san is out." Ok, it's slowly getting brutal. He quickly dodges a few more balls, as they whizz past him.

"You're a hard person to hit, Kurusu-san."

"Thanks for the compliment." He responds. Well, they probably underestimated him or something earlier, when they tried to aim for him. Now...what to do? Surely they wouldn't mind, right?

 **"Heat Riser!"**

 _A few more minutes_

Well, that was anti-climatic. Issei had somehow managed to get a lucky shot on Saji while somehow managing to dodge the blonde's ball, resulting in a shift of balance. From there on, it was pretty much just having to hang on while Rias having to take down another one, in the form of Sona's Bishop, Momo Hanaki to make up for the fact that Asia had been eliminated.

"What was that magic, Kurusu-san?" Akira shrugs at Tsubaki's question. Heat Riser has always been pretty helpful, given its utility when fighting.

"Consider it something to boost my physical capabilities."

"I see. That's a rather unique way of casting magic. Not many people choose to cast magic that amplifies physical abilities nowadays, choosing to favour casting physical spells through their weapons. However, I suggest you be careful. Too much and your body might not be able to take it." Akira nods his head. Then again, Heat Riser always increases his abilities by a set percentage no matter how fast or strong he is, so he shouldn't have that much of a problem when it comes to using Heat Riser past his limits. It's also the reason why he never casts Heat Riser twice within five minutes. The last time he did that in Mementos, he ended up with several pulled muscles and torn tissues, which were thankfully healed naturally within three weeks after a visit to Tae's clinic.

"Thanks for the advice. I can also cast offensive magic, in case you're wondering." He casually states. It's a minor detail. They would probably no doubt be shocked if he reveals his arsenal. After all, having varying spells that are from the tier of minor offensive spells to the "annihilating everything around you" tier can be quite devastating, especially since he's got more than one of those. They also happen to be some of his trump cards, so there's no way he's going to reveal them this early, unless he wishes to make a show out of it or when he's fighting a powerful person.

"Oh? What element do you favour?" That's an easy question.

"I'm a jack of all trades." Let's see... He's got fire, wind, ice, and lightning which are the base elements. Then he can also cast gun skills and physical skills, and also has Nuclear and Psychokinetic skills which are the weirder ones. How those are counted as elements, he doesn't even know. Then he's also got his Bless skills, which are most likely counted as holy spells in this case as well as Curse, which is probably the Underworld's equal of Holy spells. Oh right, his Almighty skills are not meant to be underestimated either. Starting from the mid-tier spells, they're definitely part of his strongest arsenal. Yep, definitely a jack of all trades.

"So you specialize in more than one element?"

"You could say that." Thankfully, they choose to not ask any more about his magic. Yeah, it would be kind of bad if he was forced to reveal his Personae. Well, he did reveal it to a couple of fallen angels but that's about it. It shouldn't cause any major issues, right?

 _Insert Raynare sneezing scene here_

"Anyways, so my peerage will be going to the familiar forest tomorrow night, right?"

"You could choose to go tonight, though. Why aren't you going?"

"It may be a full moon tonight, but most of the creatures living in the familiar forest have gotten smart enough to know that the full moon is the time when peerages come to find familiars. Tomorrow, however, the creatures won't be on guard as much. Plus, the familiar master typically chooses to linger around for a few days, so I'm confident I can secure his assistance." Rias explains. Honestly, it sounds like Rias has this planned out for quite a long time.

"I see. Good luck, Rias." Sona's peerage leaves soon after, leaving them alone.

"Well, I'll head back first. See you tomorrow." He begins to make his way out of the sports hall but is stopped by the voice of Akeno.

"So you're not going to wait for me? You're going to let a lady go home all by herself? You're such a cruel person" Akira sighs, while both Rias and Akeno leave to change, leaving Akira to deal with Akeno's words. After all, the three of them fully know what will happen next as the teasing words of Akeno are akin to a bomb to the ears of Issei. After all, it's not exactly hard to predict the thoughts of one of the infamous Perverted Trio. He waits for a few seconds, as Issei's mind finally catches up to Akeno's words.

"EHHHHH?! Akira-senpai! You are dating Akeno-senpai?!" There it is.

"No. We aren't dating." He responds. "We just live under the same roof." He replies instinctively, pausing a second later to ponder over his words. Well... he shouldn't have said that huh?

"EHHHH?! You and Akeno-senpai live together?!" Again, Issei has quite an exaggerated reaction. "Wait, I bet Akeno-senpai cooks for you everyday and feeds you food! You've probably seen her naked at least once, right?!"

Akira's eye twitches slightly. Goddamm it, Issei. He isn't a harem protagonist who walks into people's room catching them naked by accident. "No, I have never seen her naked before. I respect her privacy." While Akeno is the personification of a Yamato Nadeshiko ***** , he isn't going to stoop so low as to peek at her. Plus, he doesn't harbor any form of affection for her other than being a friend. **"Yet."** Akira sighs mentally. Really, Incubus?

"He's the one that cooks through." He turns his head to face Akeno, who's finished changing into some casual clothes and walking out with Rias. "He makes very good curry and coffee if you ask me." Right, he's let Akeno try his food sometimes, cooking enough portions for several people each time.

"Oh, wait, really?" Everyone except for Akeno stares in amazement at him for a few seconds, which honestly makes him feel kind of uncomfortable. "Wait! Goddamm it, Akira-senpai! Why are you so perfect?" A metaphorical sweatdrop forms on his head. "You are good in your studies and excel in physical activities, can cook well enough to earn the praise of one of the Two Great Onee-samas! What next?!" Akira smiles slightly at that. While he may be a man of many talents, rubbing that on Issei's face now isn't going to do anything much.

"You know, I worked hard to be what I am currently. The path of life isn't always all sunshine and flowers. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, but the rroad to heaven is paved with trials." He says simply. Hopefully, Issei will get the gist of his words.

"Wait. So if I work hard, I can be like you?"

"Just expect to put in a lot of time and effort."

"Very well then." A determined fire burns in Issei's eyes. So Issei has finally found his resolve? "I will work hard to become the greatest Harem King ever!"

He is tempted to facepalm now.

 **"I like that kid!"** Not you too, Mara.

"Well, I'll be leaving now. Akeno, you coming?" She quickly moves to catch up with Akira, who is already opening the door to the exit. "Well, see you all tomorrow." As Akeno goes through the door, he calls out one last time, before closing the door behind him.

 _Streets_

"So, why did you choose to go with me? You could have teleported back or something." He decides to break the silence. Akeno has been walking beside him without showing too much emotion, so he might as well try asking her. She's clearly deep in thought, probably troubled by something.

"I don't know. I felt like it, I guess. You're also the only one who would be this relaxed if someone walked home with me. " A small but sincere smile graces her lips. It is a pretty smile, he isn't going to lie. But enough of that.

"So gut feeling, huh? Well, I guess I should be honored that one of the Two Great Onee-samas is accompanying me home just because of a gut feeling." He jests.

She laughs for a second, before her pace slows down slightly, enough to be behind him by a bit. "Thanks."

"Thanks for not seeing me like the other students in school." Akira immediately understands her meaning. She does really keep that Onee-sama mask on a lot of the time, huh? It is probably beginning to tire her out. As he'd learned firsthand, no one can truly suppress their true nature for too long. Someday, it'll eventually break free.

Akeno is probably slowly beginning to reach her limit, as it stands. It appears that she probably didn't have the luxury of having a confidant apart from Rias to talk to. "If you want to talk about your own problem. So, just say it. It's not good to bottle it up, you know?"

A sigh. "You're sharp. How did you know I was troubled?" He didn't know of her being troubled. He knows what exactly is bothering her.

"I was like you once. Tired and sick of society. My true nature had been repressed for far too long." His first few weeks after his sentence, as well as his first few days at Shujin, had been quite the experience, after all. He'd been afraid, scared of the city that was Tokyo. Intimidated by the school that gossiped about nothing but his record. Until the day he awakened Arsene and when Kamoshida had confessed. Good times.

Akeno stays silent for a second. "Then what should I do?"

"Be yourself."

He can sense her hesitating for a second. "But..."

"It takes courage. It is up to you to take the first step." He adds a few more encouraging words. Well, what happens next?

She takes a deep breath. "Do you mind if I..." She does not finish her sentence, instead opting to match his walking pace once again and grasping his calloused hand, which had been roughed up over the course of the fighting in the Metaverse, with her soft and gentle hand. While he's held the hand of a number of females, this is the first time it has occurred in this situation. Honestly? This whole situation is kind of weird, not that he minds Akeno holding his hand. But still, pretty much almost any male from his school with the exclusion of Kiba would no doubt be jealous of what's happening right now.

So she longs to be just a normal girl who has someone to stand by her side? "Sure." He decides to let her hold his hand, if only to provide that feeling of security and comfort for her. The boys and girls in school probably treat her as a person beyond their standing, which is to be expected given her looks. At least it's better than being scorned for having a criminal record.

"Thanks." She whispers. He can hear a hint of vulnerability in her voice as if she's afraid. Akira wisely chooses to not look to his side, knowing fully well that she's probably blushing and embarrassed by this situation. And not to mention, most importantly, vulnerable. After all, which girl in the right mind would ask to hold hands with a boy that she hardly knows?

The two of them continue to walk back to the shrine in comfortable silence for the rest of the walk, as Akeno clings onto his hand.

That night, Morgana had a lot of questions as to what occurred.

 _Friday Night_

As he enters the ORC Clubroom, he finds everyone seated and present, with Issei clearly excited. He must probably be having perverted thoughts if he's this excited. Perhaps he's hoping to chance upon a beautiful and sexy familiar? He steals a glance at Akeno, who is currently seated on one of the couches. She seems more...liberated as compared to last night. "Sorry if I kept everyone waiting." He greets them.

"Hey, Akira-senpai!" Issei's enthusiastic bearing still never changes.

"It's fine. We did agree to meet at this time." Rias responds, appearing to be preparing a magic circle. "Alright, we're going to teleport to the familiar forest now." Straight to the point, huh?

 _Forest_

As the glow dies down, he's treated to a sight of a normal forest at night, if you exclude the fact that the place is pretty much brimming with life and the dull red glow, which is not kind of what he expected. Then again, you can never exactly judge a book by its cover.

"We're here. The familiar master should be hanging around here somewhere..." So they actually have someone who specializes in familiars? Neat. His senses immediately send him on guard and he sharply turns to look at the source of what is triggering his senses. A middle-aged, well-muscled man is standing on one of the trees, dressed in a white singlet, shorts with a jacket tied around his waist. His outfit is completed with a cap to cover most of his red hair and a backpack to go along with it. The others turn at his reaction too.

"So I heard some people were looking for me? Ah, you must be the peerage coming to the familiar forest this month, although you should have been here yesterday." So he's the familiar master?

"Yes. Unfortunately, we were held up by certain matters. My name is Rias Gremory and this is my peerage, familiar master-san. The one with the black curly hair is a rogue magician tagging along with us." His booming laughter resounds.

"Ah, so the Crimson Satan's little sister!" His eyes twinkle, as he speaks of a title that he recently heard from Rias' explanation of the supernatural. The strongest devil alive, supposedly stronger than the progenitor himself. **"A mere Gremory with the power of Bael dares fancy himself stronger than me? How amusing."** And to put it nicely, Lucifer wasn't exactly the happiest Persona when he heard those words. And he's still hung up on that claim, unfortunately. Akira, however, kind of agrees with the Father of Lies (despite the irony). There's no way that an offspring from a Duke Pillar can actually one-up the original.

"Call me Zatouji! I'll help you find any familiar that you want! So, what would you like?" Well, he doesn't seem to be lying, if the confidence is of any assurance. **"There is a fine line between bravery, and stupidity."** Kohryu murmurs from his mind. Well, his Personae seem to be more active right now than anything. Especially Kohryu. The Ultimate Hierophant Arcana hardly deigns to speak to him personally, so why would he speak up now? **"I can sense her. One of my kin."** A dragon, here in the familiar forest?

"Say, is there a dragon here in the forest?" He decides to test out Kohryu's words. They are most likely true, although it never hurts to ask and get more details.

His question is met with surprised gazes from everyone, even Zatouji. Then he laughs. "Ah, I see you're a bold one! However, the Chaos Karma Dragon has most likely retreated back to her nest already. If you wish to find her, you would have to come during the full moon, where she exits her hideout to roam about. I suggest you consider something else, young magician. Or maybe you would like the nine-headed Hydra? It's very fierce and a powerful familiar to boot! The best part is, it will try to break free of the master's control and eat him or her so you gotta be careful with feisty creatures like this!" He sweatdrops(metaphorically) at his suggestion. It doesn't sound that appealing. Also, who exactly is the Chaos Karma Dragon? Well, all he's gotten is that the dragon is a she and that's about it. Kohryu probably isn't willing to speak any more about this topic either as he checks his mind for any sign of response.

Surprisingly, Kohryu deigns to speak any further, as Zatouji continues to ramble on. "So, you want an Undine? Perfect, I know just the place! Follow me!" That has to be Issei's suggestion because there's no way Asia would want one.

As they begin their hike to wherever Undines lurk, he decides to talk a bit with his Personae. "You would think Kohryu will be more talkative when a Dragon's actually not too far away from here."

 **"We are merely surprised. We certainly weren't expecting a dragon to dwell in this insignificant place, not to mention the Strongest of the Five Dragon Kings."** Seiryu speaks for his fellow dragon. So this Chaos Karma Dragon is part of whatever the Five Dragon Kings are? He's heard of dragons from Rias before, although she didn't explain much about his hierarchy. **"They are a tier below the Two Heavenly Dragons. And that difference between the tiers is what defines the difference between the two tiers."**

"And who exactly are the Two Heavenly Dragons?" Damm, the dragons just keep tossing around terms that he barely knows of.

 **"They're the strongest of dragons, below the likes of Ophis and Great Red. Or at least, they were."** Now that immediately perks his interest. The usage of the past tense is definitely interesting, so what happened to two of the strongest dragons below the ones that could easily wipe out this world? **"During the Great War, The Welsh Dragon, Ddraig, and the Vanishing Dragon, Alboin, were fighting when they stumbled onto a battlefield where the three factions were fighting each other. Angered that their fight got interrupted, the two of them turned their claws upon the factions. The three factions immediately called for a truce and fought the two dragons for several days and nights straight, before they were finally subdued then slain. Their souls were placed into the Sacred Gears, Boosted Gear and Divine Dividing respectively. Throughout history, the hosts..."**

"Have met and continued the battle of Ddraig against Alboin in their stead." Oh.

 **"That's correct. The Welsh and Vanishing Dragons may be sealed, but they still have their pride through their hosts. Except, I fear for the Welsh's pride this time. After all, his host this time is quite a disappointment if you ask me."**

"Who is i-" He cuts his sentence short, as he realizes who exactly would qualify as a disappointment in being the wielder of the Boosted Gear in the eyes of Seiryu. Seiryu is significantly weaker, compared to the likes of Kohryu and the Two Heavenly Dragons of the past, if what he's implying is correct. He's only known a few people ever since coming to Kuoh and only one person would actually be somehow able to do so.

 **"Precisely. Hyoudou Issei may have potential, but he lacks guidance and focus. If he had put in even half an ounce of effort to properly train himself, he wouldn't have taken this long. At this rate, the White One is going to utterly crush him."**

"Taken this long to do what?" Unfortunately, Seiryu isn't going to continue anymore.

 **"It appears I've said too much. You've already almost arrived at your destination. Also, I almost pity the Welsh's host for what's about to happen."** With that, Seiryu retreats back into the depths of his mind, leaving him with no chance to ask why.

"EHHHH?! These are undines?!" Issei is clearly freaking out over something. "B..Bu...But" He stutters. He decides to take a look at whatever Issei is having an episode over. At the lake, there are males, who are in dresses and to frankly put it in simple words, they have the body of a martial artist. So they are undines? Thankfully, he isn't like Issei and is keeping an open mind. Plus, he's already learned that not every single myth is completely true and should be taken with a grain of salt.

"Why, yes! If you wish, you can take one of them as your familiar!" Zatouji doesn't seem to be affected by Issei's shock. In fact, he's encouraging the pervert.

"No way I'm taking them! They're so..." Unfortunately, Issei fails to find a proper word to describe the undines.

"I bet you were thinking that an undine was sexy and all that, right? Sorry to burst your bubbles, but this is the reality, kid." Zatouji has a shit-eating grin on his face, as if he's managed to pull off a successful troll(which he did). Issei slumps down in defeat, as the words hit him like a truck.

"Well, I guess we should get going then," Rias calls out, managing to partially get Issei out of his dejected stupor.

"Come on! We'll find something, don't worry about it too much." As Issei begins his dejected trudging through the forest with Zatouji at the head, Akira decides to not communicate with his Personae.

"You've been awfully quiet, Akira-senpai." Kiba speaks up.

"Nothing much interests me so far, to be honest. We've only gone and seen the Undines and that's about it." He responds.

"Ah, fair enough. I hope you find something that suits your needs." Akira silently laughs. Something that suits his needs? That is something that would take luck to find, to be honest. Hell, he doesn't even know if there's actually any familiar that will be of use to him and won't rebel against him at the same time.

"Look high!" Zatouji suddenly stops the group, gesturing to what appears to be a baby dragon perched on the branch of a tree.

"What's that?"

"Aw, it's cute!" Right, girls tend to have a penchant for cute things and Asia isn't an exception.

"But dangerous too! When they get angry, they get to shoot blue lightning."

 **"We're close,"** Is all Kohryu says. So the little dragon is a sign? But a sign of what exactly?

"Hey, that's pretty rare, isn't it?" He hears Kiba say.

"I think that's the first time I've seen one," Rias affirms his words.

 **"Three steps back, there is a path to the right."** Now Kohryu's giving him directions? To where exactly? Well, there's one possibility in mind. But what exactly are the chances? Still, he decides to break away from the group, while their attention is still diverted by the miniature dragon.

The path is barely there, with little to no hints of it being there. It appears as if it was once a commonly used path, but long term avoidance of the path led to the forest slowly reclaiming it as the grass is sprouting from the dirt. It is as if the path is leading to someplace where a dangerous being lurks and to be honest, his earlier thoughts might be right. This path might only be serving as more evidence, as the truly powerful would have certain territories that the weak would avoid for fear of provoking its ire.

A minute later, he ends up in front of a cave. "Kohryu? Where exactly am I?" No response. Well, time to try and test his luck. Hopefully, he doesn't die. He walks into the cave, which is illuminated by the generous amount of blue luminescent ores that are jutting out of the walls. They might be valuable materials, but now isn't exactly the time to care about such things. Plus, he doesn't really have any interest in these things.

The cave is brightly lit, he'll give it that much. Still, he is unable to see the end in sight. All he can see, for the stretch in front of him, is the colour blue illuminating the cave. And he has to admit, it's quite a beautiful sight. He slowly walks, making sure that his footsteps are silent as they can be. He can sense an invisible pressure, slowly growing greater as he walks in. While it doesn't amount to much as of now, it is terrifying, to be honest. For someone or something to emit this kind of pressure without even having any hostile intentions, the being who resides in this cave is certainly no joke. It also further reinforces his theory.

He stops, as he realizes what's in front of him. He swallows his saliva, a visible lump on his throat as he sees what exactly is in front of him. It wasn't the fact that the cave stretched so far that he couldn't see what was in front of him. It is because of the scales, that are of the same colour as the ore in the cave, which in turn creates the illusion that it is as such. So this is a dragon. Finally, he can understand why dragons are revered as they are so. After all, the one that's in front of him deserves to be. The dragon is clearly a western dragon, with celestial blue dragon scales, the rest of her body being a pale blue colour that somehow compliments the colour of her scales. It sounds simple, but words cannot describe the air of regality that surrounds the dragon. So this is the Chaos Karma Dragon, the Strongest of the Five Dragon Kings. "Fuck." He whispers.

In that instant, her eyelids open to reveal a pair of dark blue eyes that stare at him.

 ***Yamato Nadeshiko: The ideal Japanese woman.**

 **A/N: That's chapter 8 done, kappa. I hoped you guys liked how I did this chapter(the dodgeball match was kind of lackluster I know. Also, I wanted to update this on 1st or 2nd of July but it ended up being delayed, because I wanted to refine it somewhat I guess. I'm not sure when I'll put up the next chapter, so yeah. And I'm sorry for the cliffhanger.**

 **Anyways, I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter and leave a review if you guys think that there's room for improvement or any requests that you want! Some requests will be considered. Feel free to PM me if you want. Absurd requests are obviously not allowed and dun flame. I am only an amateur at this shit.**

 **On that note, peace out people!**

 **322n**


	9. What just happened?

**Responding to reviews 101**

 **allen Vth: Well, Akira is only comfortable with Akeno as of now, that's why I'm beginning the interactions with Akeno first. He's still not exactly trusting of anyone else yet, even though Rias has already apologized to him. As for Asia, Asia doesn't really have the courage to face him and thank him and all that stuff, because it's hard to describe it. Asia's perception of him is unique compared to the others, considering the fact that she's seen Satanael being summoned and all that. To Asia, I guess you could say that she holds Akira in quite a high pedestal in her heart, being her saviour.**

 **DALucifer13: It's hard to explain about Personae, but theoretically speaking, you can. Except that Akira has yet to fully understand what Personae are truly capable of.**

 **ENDRAGON369: I was editing several minor mistakes in my other chapters, I'm really sorry for the false alarm!**

 _Location and Time_

POV

 **Persona Skills/Speech**

[Dragon Speech]

 _'Mental Speech'_

"Fuck." He immediately regrets his decision to even move his mouth at all, as the dragon's eyes open wide, staring at him for a second.

He can see the confusion in her eyes. Then, hostility is what finally registers in her eyes. She moves much faster than he thought possible, springing from her sleeping position and ramming him with her snout within the span of a single second. He is immediately sent flying back by that ramming attack, forcing him to cough out blood as he quickly swaps his Persona to Norn. **"Diaharan!"** Somehow, that single attack alone had managed to take out his ribs, leaving him with a few cracked ribs and a bit of blood loss through his mouth. His healing spell takes effect a second later, healing his ribs but unable to replenish the blood loss.

Well, if it wasn't for the fact that Mada had pretty high endurance with the fact that he had Auto-Marakukaja going, his wounds wouldn't have been just limited to as such. And to think that she was that fast, even though she was clearly much bigger than him in terms of size, as well as him being under the effects of Auto-Masukukaja. So this is his first true foe of the Supernatural World? Well, he can see why she's hostile. After all, dragons tend to be territorial and no doubt, the same applies to this dragon.

Then she opens her mouth. He can see deep in the maw of her mouth, is a searing fire that is about to be unleashed upon this cave that he finds himself in. Shit. Now he knows why this dragon chooses to dwell here. The cave is narrow with a large space at the end, which means that any in a linear fashion cannot be avoided, unless you were fast enough to get out or get to the opening at the top of the large space, which is the area above where the dragon dwells. A simple but strategic location that can easily be defended. A mask manifests on his face alongside his entire Phantom Thief outfit and he pulls the white bird mask off with urgency. **"Mada!"** He whispers, as the Persona immediately comes to the forefront of his mind. Fortunately for him, he has a third option.

A silhouette of He who Intoxicates appears in front of him, a second after the dragon blasts the entire narrow passageway down with fire. That was a close one. With Mada's **Absorb Fire,** he should be good for now. He begins to backpedal with a constant pace, as the fire continues to bear down on Mada. However, Mada's devouring ability made it such that he was able to not only stop the fire, but also convert it into health if needed. He takes a quick look back. Not good. There's still a short distance to go, until he reaches the cave entrance. Then the fire stops, as if the dragon has realized that it isn't working on him for now. No, the dragon has clearly realized it.

He begins to run towards the cave entrance, knowing that there's no point in standing around. He doubts that Paradise Lost and Nataraja can actually do that much as of now, against a being that big. At most, it would serve as nothing more than a distraction... Right, distraction. Pulling the winged gun, he hastily fires a few shots without looking, trusting his ability to shoot and the location. It is a narrow and straight passageway, after all. The gunshots are loud, but the roar that ensues is even louder so. Yep, the dragon is reallllyyyy mad. He dares not to turn back. So that means he's managed to either successfully annoy or injure the dragon, which should buy him enough time to get out of this cave at the very least.

"Finally!" He's made it out of the cave. Then another roar. This time, it's so deafening that he's sure that everyone in the immediate area can hear it and within the surrounding mile. This isn't good, is it? He begins to make a break for it, although a few seconds later, he can see a dragon-shaped shadow on the ground which covers him, growing larger by the second. He makes a quick twist to the side, using a nearby tree as help to change his direction as soon as possible which led to the dragon bearing down on the ground where he was a second ago. He doesn't bother trying to stay still, knowing that the dragon can and will probably find him somehow. Not even his skills as a Phantom Thief will help him in evading the danger, which is a relentless dragon out for his blood, this time round. But first of all, a quick spell to make sure that he will be able to run long enough. **"Yoshitsune! Heat Riser!"** Now, he has to make sure that Rias Gremory and her peerage aren't in the immediate vicinity before he begins to fight back.

After all, there won't be any holes barred once he starts taking this dragon seriously.

Issei's POV

He hears the roar, just as the slime was about to encroach upon kami's territory, that was the skin of the girls. The slimes immediately run away, clearly frightened by something. What?! Nooo, he just missed an opportunity to see the girls in an ecchi situation! That is seriously a pity. Then he sees the serious frown on the face of the familiar master. "What's goi-" Another roar. This time, it's loud enough for him to quickly cover his ears, in a futile attempt to drown out the roar. Issei turns to see the rest of the peerage doing similar actions, although the stoic Koneko is the most affected. She is quivering as if she's afraid.

As the roar finally dies down, Buchou quickly questions her. "Koneko-chan, are you alright?"

She only mutters one word. "D..Dragon." Zatouji's eyes comically bulge out.

"Impossible! The only dragon who could do something like this is already back in her lair! Why would the Chaos Karma Dragon react like this?" Issei blinks. Then he hears a grave sigh from his mind. Wait, did he just mentally sigh? That shouldn't be possible.

[I fear that she may have detected us.] Wait, who's that? Who's the voice in his mind?! Before he can begin to actually panic, the voice quickly coaxes him to stop in a forceful manner. [Calm down! Now is not the time to panic! We must retreat immediately. Tell your devil superior to get everyone out of here.]

"I think we should leave." He heeds the voice's advice, proposing the idea to Buchou.

"What makes you say that?" Internally, he panics. Shit, what do I say?!

[Say that the Boosted Gear might be triggering her anger. Dragons are territorial by nature.]

"She might have detected the Boosted Gear." He quickly follows the instruction of the voice again.

"And since dragons are territorial, they might think of us as a threat." Akeno does not finish the rest of the sentence, although Issei knows what she means. They are not ready for an opponent of this calibre, after all.

"Very well, then. We shall prepare the teleportation circle at once." Issei sighs in relief.

[Good. Once we get back, I'll explain a bit more about who I am. Just know that the dragon's roar awakened me, although I have no idea what triggered her. It is odd, given that you're actually too weak to be a serious threat to the Chaos Karma Dragon as of now.] So, the voice was dwelling within him? And he's too weak?

[It is the hard truth. You would be nothing more than an annoying fly before her, even if you used Boost to your limit. Also, you might want to do a headcount.] Headcount? For what? Everyone's here anyway. But he does it anyway. After all, the voice hasn't failed him so far. He quickly counts. There's him, Kiba, Koneko-chan, Akeno-senpai, Buchou and Asia. But no sign of his male senpai. Oh.

"Akira-senpai's missing!" He gasps, blinking several times to make sure that his eyes aren't tricking him.

"What?" The rest quickly turn and sure enough, there is no sign of the curly haired boy.

"I suggest you all leave at once. Come back in a few hours, to search for that magician of yours. He probably got sidetracked by something. We can only hope that he doesn't get in the crossfire." Zatouji suggests. While Issei and the rest clearly aren't willing, there really isn't any other option. They themselves might get caught up in the fight too, which might not be an experience that they can all survive.

Rias takes out a familiar piece of paper and hands it to the familiar master. "Should you find any sign of Akira Kurusu, please summon me." Zatouji nods his head, as he receives the piece of paper.

"So that's the magician's name, huh? I'll try to find him. If you aren't summoned within the next 6 hours, come back." A red glow is emitted under their feet, as the magic circle is finally complete.

'So, mind telling me who exactly are you and what are you doing in my head?' He decides to focus on the mysterious voice in his head now.

[This is going to be a long one, if you're as clueless as this. Let's start from the Great War, shall we?] For some reason, Issei felt that he would be spending the next six hours listening to the ramblings of this voice as he is teleported out of the familiar forest.

Akira's POV

"So we're finally good, huh?" He's been on the run for the last few minutes, using every single trick possible in his book to evade the dragon. They should be somewhere far away from the Gremory peerage, so it should be a good place to finally do battle.

 **"Charge!"** Still having Yoshitsune, he quickly takes a breather to charge up. Before dodging once again as the dragon tries for another swoop, but lands a few metres away from him, back facing him. She then turns to face him once more and lets loose another deafening roar. A few seconds pass as he stares defiantly into her eyes. Her eyes hold some form of amusement as if the thought of him resisting against her is futile. It is probably true, to her at least. Time for a showstopper. The dragon begins her charge once again as she is ready to bite down upon him with her jaws.

 **"Hassou Tobi!"** A second before she fully descends upon him, Yoshitsune manifests in front of him, slashing forward with one of his swords. The ground glows red and black, as a red line slashes from below, injuring the dragon's hands. Then another one, which manages to strike the underbelly. As the third one connects once more at the dragon's hind legs, her wings beat immediately, flying off the ground and avoiding the rest of the slashes. Akira facepalms. That was embarrassing. That wasn't really the best option to use, was it? While Hassou Tobi may be a good physical spell(one of the best in fact), it still doesn't change the fact that you can actually _dodge_ the spell by flying high enough.

"Well, shit." That also means that many of his other spells won't be as effective as well, like Eigoan as they originate from the ground. He quickly reloads Nataraja with his last magazine. Only 15 bullets left, huh? Wait, he has gun-based skills. **"Charge!"** A red light swirls around him before going up once more. **"Satanael! Riot Gun!"** His ultimate Persona manifests for a second to fire his gun, before fading away as a literal rain of bullets, as abundant as raindrops, begin to continuously pelt down upon the dragon in a relentless assault, with several bullets even managing to penetrate scales, drawing blood from the dragon in several different places.

It's probably due to the fact that the bullets were numerous and worked like a minigun. Even if the first couple of bullets cannot penetrate its armour, it still leaves a slight dent. Continue hitting that same exact spot and it will eventually manage to penetrate the spot.

As the dragon is forced to fly away from the immediate area and land just a metre away from him, she speaks.

"It's been a while since a human managed to draw blood from thee, to this extent no less. Thou should be proud. For this, thou shalt die with honour and dignity." Something flares up within him. She dares to disregard him like this? While he might not be anything, she is clearly underestimating him and disregarding humans in general. As if she's already seen his death. And when you underestimate a Joker, it is clearly a mistake. He'll show her!

So he really has to bring out the big guns, huh? He's already hit her with two of his stronger spells but she is still unwilling to bend over. But on the bright side, he finally has the freedom to cast his spells again. She prepares another breath of fire and Akira can tell the fire this time is much stronger. He tears off his mask again. **"Satan! Ice Age!"** He immediately doesn't hesitate to use his strongest ice spell, in hopes of nullifying the terrifying fire that is about to come this time around. Clearly, the dragon isn't holding back anything anymore, so why should he?

Satan appears in front of him, waving two of his six hands, causing an entire glacial field to spring up in an instant, right in front of him with ice and all, just as she unleashes her horrifying fire right in the miniature glacial field in front of him. He can see the ice slowly beginning to melt, even as he mentally commands Satan continue to attempt to maintain the ice as much as possible. The fire is certainly terrifying, to be able to make him sweat even though the fire hasn't reached him is proof enough that if he were to let the fire reach him, he might become nothing short of human barbeque if he doesn't react fast enough.

The ice begins to melt even further, as puddles of water begin to form, while the fire seems to be growing weaker as well. So the two of them did actually somehow cancel each other out. For a second, he thought that it wasn't going to last. Then he checks his mana reserve and realizes something. He'd made the rookie mistake of not managing his limited reserves.

This isn't good. He's left with enough mana for one of his strongest spells and for a charge or a concentrate at best. He'd spammed more than one Heat Riser to bait the dragon away, before using two charges. He must have also used extra mana on Satan in an attempt to maintain that Ice Age and combat the flames, which leaves him with not much. While he could use a physical skill, consuming his vitality even further than what he has isn't exactly good, even if he can cast a Diaharan further since he didn't exactly have anything to replenish his mana right now.

He makes a decision. **"Lucifer! Concentrate!"** This will be his final stand, at least. Well, this technique should be able to give her a run for her money, at least. If this doesn't work, he won't know what will. Well, mana exhaustion will definitely be the least of his worries, because the dragon probably can still tank through any of his attacks with Paradise Lost. Also, why does Lucifer look slightly different?

"Your last stand? Bring it on, human!" So she can sense his desperation. But he grins tiredly. She also appears to be willing to tank his attack.

 **"Morning Star!"** True to its name, a star twinkles in the night sky, before a tiny beam that grows large, slams down directly in front of the dragon, a white explosion growing larger and larger as it engulfs said dragon. Then his sight is blinded for a second, as the explosion causes him temporary blindness. He realizes the feeling of helplessness, as his body becomes exhausted. Is mana exhaustion in the real world actually more tiring compared to the real world? Then he feels and sees it. As he vision recovers slightly, he sees a bloodied hand, curled up, punched into his solar plexus. He hears a voice. To be more specific, a ragged one, as if she'd been severely wounded.

"Twas a good fight, fledgling." He manages to cracks a smile before splitting out blood. So they'd both managed to wound each other. A pity he lost in the end. Well, dying after fighting a dragon and getting one shot in the solar plexus no less. That is a good way to go, he thinks. Then unconsciousness embraces him with open arms as he feels the loss of his other senses.

 _Unknown_

" **So you've finally come**." A snarking voice greets him. He tries to remember what happened... Dragon! Right, he was fighting a dragon then... **"You're not dead, you know? Otherwise, I wouldn't be talking to you in the first place."**

"Wait, how did you read my mind?" He tries to remember through his hazy consciousness, but nothing of use actually comes up.

 **"I am thou, thou art I. Surely you remember that much at least?"** He responds, to which Akira nods. **"Then again, I shouldn't be surprised. Forcing the Chaos Karma Dragon to transform into a human just so that she could specifically target your solar plexus? It's a miracle that she didn't rupture your internal organs."** His Persona comments dryly. Then it all clicks. He'd been fighting the Chaos Karma Dragon and somehow managed to severely wound her with a Morning Star that she took head-on. Then the last thing he saw as his sight recovered was a fist connecting to his solar plexus.

"Satanael." He realizes who the source of the voice is.

 **"It's been a while. You know, I half expected to come straight away or at least start talking to me the night after you awakened once more."** Right. But he'd been mostly an idiot.

"Well, I don't really know what to say. I probably should have come here, to wherever this place is and seek answers from you immediately." He admits. "But since we're here, we might as well make use of our time here."

 **"I see you're as resourceful as ever. As for where this place is, we're currently within your soul. We probably have quite a while, since your body took quite a beating even though you literally had Reflect Phys on Lucifer. Even though you may have that passive, it is not flawless. Even a diamond has flaws. And a dragon's nature is to utterly dominate and crush everything."** Oh. His soul looks pretty normal, to be honest. There's just Satanael chilling in front of him, while he is sitting on a random chair. It's pretty bare, as all things go. Or is this not the entirety of his soul?

"Thanks for telling me. So, what's going on with me exactly? Why do I know of some names that I shouldn't know of in the first place?" He decides to focus on the first detail that he found the most important.

 **"Since I'm what you could say your main Persona, the vow applies to both parties even more directly."**

"More directly? As in?" Akira is confused. He knows of the vow. But how does it really tie into anything at all?

 **"To put it in simple terms? You represent me in the supernatural world in a manner. And I assure you, my word carries a lot of weight."** Akira sighs, as he immediately understands what it means. This is going to come and bite him in the ass when it comes to politics if he isn't wrong. **"But if we're talking on a more intimate level? I'll leave you to guess."**

So his Persona also happens to make for a good conversationalist about as well as Igor and Kohryu at times. So he gains knowledge on a few people, but what else? "Well, I suppose I can figure that part out some other time. So, what exactly is the tie between each of us? Me and every single Persona. For some reason, the tie between every single one is getting stronger. Some of them are even changing." While he isn't going to complain too much, he needs to know what's going on. He can feel it within his soul. Some of his Personae are beginning to change. While the change is not that visible, he can still sense them. There are many questions on his mind, but perhaps this is one of the most important questions.

 **"So you feel it too, don't you? Consider it a shift in cognition. Think along the lines of your Personae."** Akira thinks for a second. His Personae are basically the various myths given form to put it in simple terms. But how is it related to a shift of cognition?

His eyes widen in understanding. "Since they're real, my mind reinforces that fact and deeply buries that fact in my subconscious, which leads to our vow between each other getting stronger, which in turn strengthens them." He breathes in, as he realizes the implications of such things. Kushinada-Hime has already mentioned that a real self of her probably exists somewhere. "And when I gain more understanding of each of the different figures, that's what triggers the changes. My mind accepts that change and changes that Persona once again according to my understanding, due to our strong bonds." Damm, how did he not think of such an answer before?

 **"Probably because Personae are fundamentally hard to understand, in all honesty. I doubt many Persona Users would bother to understand the fundamentals of Personae and how they can evolve, all thanks to a change of perspective."** He has to admit, Satanael is right. Were it not for the subtle changes and being goaded by Satanael, he wouldn't have chanced upon this realization. But at least he knows now.

"Thanks." He realizes that his vision is fading again. Huh, time does really pass quickly when he's talking to his Personae, huh?

 **"Time also happens to pass pretty quickly in your soul. Although you might be in for a shock when you wake up."** For some reason, he feels as if Satanael has a shit-eating grin on his face although said Persona doesn't change expression at all. He sighs, remembering Satanael's last words as the sight of his soul fades to black.

 _Cave_

Well, he finally wakes up. In a cave, no less. Not just any cave. A cave that is full of celestial blue ore, jutting out of the rocks. Why does this cave look so familiar? Then the realization hits him hard, like the fist to his solar plexus from earlier. He's back in the dragon's cave. He quickly sits up, looking around and panicking.

"Thou hast awakened?" He turns to look at the source of the voice, swallowing as he realizes who exactly is it.

Somehow, the dragon has the ability to shift into a human form and to be fair, she is drop dead gorgeous. She has certainly retained the colour blue with her human form, as her long river of hair is a pale shade of blue that stops halfway of her back. Her outfit is a one-piece navy blue dress with gold embroidery, which happens to emphasize her...sizeable bust and perky hips. In all honesty, why is almost every female that he's met so far ever since finding out the Supernatural World is so well developed in many areas? His eyes finally settle on her sharp, dark blue eyes, which look as if they could kill with that chill of hers. He doesn't exclude the fact that there seems to be some sort of pressure still emanating from her.

"So, why am I here? I was certain I would have died already by your hands."

"Thou hast showed thee mercy. It would be impolite of thee to not repay thy gesture." Akira is confused.

"What do you mean?"

"If that last ability of yours had struck thee directly, thou would have won." Akira sighs. So he could have actually won?

"Do you mind not speaking Shakespearean? I'm sorry, but my English is not exactly the best." He decides to deal with this little problem first. If the dragon really uses Shakespearean English more, he might not be able to keep up.

She simply laughs for a few seconds, as if she's found something funny to talk about. "Many would bow and defer or at least be wary before me, yet you make a request of a few moments after you awake. I could have killed you for the disrespect, you know?" Well, at least she's not speaking in old fashioned English anymore.

"You wouldn't kill me. You had the chance to kill me while I was unconscious." He flatly points out.

"To think that you actually have the energy to rebuke me! You're amusing, for a mortal. I suppose your healing item does work wonders." Now he's confused again. "You had an item on your body that was able to cure both of our wounds within a matter of hours and replenish our mana reserves. I'm surprised you didn't use it in our fight. You would have been able to win much more easily too." He glances down at his body and checks his

"Would you believe me if I said that I didn't realize I had a Soma on me?" Realization dawns on him, as he finally remembers that he always remembered to keep a Soma with him in case of emergencies. However, he was clearly still rusty, since he even forgot to use items to his advantage, much like the beginning of his career as a Phantom Thief.

This time, disbelief fills her face. "You forgot?! Many races would scramble for an item this potent, one that could easily turn the tides but you forgot that you had one with you?" Right. He should probably not mention the fact that he has a few more Somas stored in his home, having never seen the use for such items.

"Well..." He fails to come up with an excuse.

"Forget it. Still, you're quite an interesting person." He blinks for a second at the sudden turn of events. A smile that is giving him some weird vibes is visibly etched on her face, to be honest. Should he be afraid?

"I never got your name, by the way." Got to remedy this minor mistake as well.

"I'm Tiamat. You best remember it, master." Tiamat changes her smile into a smirk, one that's making him feel uncomfortable. He's got a not so good feeling about that smirk. And what's with the master part?

"I never said I'm your master." He flatly points out.

"Did you not want to make me your familiar? Wasn't that the reason why you spared me?" He shakes his head.

"I accidentally found your cave and then the rest is history." Now it's her turn to blink and be in disbelief for the second time within five minutes.

"How? I made sure that my lair was well hidden. There shouldn't be a path leading here anymore and there are the slimes that can melt people's clothes within seconds that reside nearby along with some tentacles." She pouts after pointing out a few of her countermeasures. Slime melting clothes paired with tentacles? That sounds pretty effective, to be honest. Slimes are clearly low in terms of hierarchy but also serve well as a deterrent if they actually do something like that. And tentacles? He deadpans at her. That's just calling for a hentai scene to happen.

He ignores the pout, focusing more on responding. "Well, I still managed to find it anyways. So, what happens now?"

"Make me your familiar."

"Nani?"

"What? Since you're here and already gone through the trouble of fighting me to a near standstill, you might as well." Well, this... How should he say it?

"I have no clue to bind a familiar." While he knows that familiar binding contracts do exist, he doesn't know how to cast them, since he didn't exactly feel the need to know. After all, he wasn't really expecting to get a familiar.

"That can be easily solved," Tiamat whispers the words into his ears and he nods, although he tries to ignore the way she _almost_ sensually breathes into his ear. (Hey, he's still a normal, hot-blooded teenager)

Nodding his head, he begins the chant as the two of them stand opposite each other, with a space of a meter between them.

 **I call upon Storm, Earth, and Fire to witness this Contract.**

He hears the sudden pouring of rain, the deep rumble of the Earth and the crackle of a fire.

 **I, Akira Kurusu, hereby contract Tiamat, the Chaos Karma Dragon to my service.**

He begins to feel some sort of connection being extended outwards, stretching towards Tiamat.

I, Tiamat, The Chaos Karma Dragon, hereby agree to this Contract.

He feels the connection linking up with Tiamat.

May Storm, Earth, and Fire be the witnesses to this Contract.

A lightning bolt strikes above them.

The earth quivers slightly.

A fire is ignited between them.

 **May she be by my side when I am in need of assistance.**

May I never break this agreement.

 **Henceforth, our fates are tied together as one.**

The fire is put out and the Earth stops moving.

He takes a deep breath once more, as they finish the contract. He can feel a connection to Tiamat now, and dare he says it, on a spiritual level."So, how do you feel?"

"I can sense the connection between us." He whispers. It is weird, to be honest. It feels as if he's suddenly bared to her. His thoughts, body, mind and soul and everything.

 _'That's right.'_ He nearly jumps at her voice in his mind. So this is one of the things that is given? Then he sees her frown.

"Why do I sense so many different presences within your soul?" He sucks in air. Fuck, he didn't think that she would be actually able to detect his Personae. "It's like there's a myriad of them."

"I'll explain some other time, Tiamat. For now, please don't ask about that anymore." He can feel her disappointment.

"I'll hold you to that then." She giggles. And she's probably found another reason as to why he's interesting. "That's right! You should be proud. No human has actually made me in interested in someone, you know?" She giggles again, at another funny thought of hers which he ignores.

"So, how do I get out of the familiar forest? I need to get back to Kuoh since the peerage that came with me will no doubt be worried."

"Well, that's clearly either Shinto or Devil territory, so I'm afraid I can't just teleport you back. It would probably alarm everyone when a Dragon Gate appears out of nowhere." So this Dragon Gate is what dragons use to teleport, huh? And that means that using Tiamat is out of the option. Now...what to do?

 **"You could always summon a devil."** Tiamat blinks at Satanael's voice.

"Please don't ask about that right now. It's linked to the multiple presences that you sensed." Tiamat nods her head, clearly reluctant. So her curiousity is clearly something that needs to be satiated pretty quickly. But how does one exactly explain everything?

"Anyways, summoning your devil is perhaps your best bet. If there's a specific Pillar that's not extinct you can think of, you can try to draw a magic circle on the ground with a knife or something." Right, a non-extinct Pillar. Gremory should do.

 _'Beelzebub, how do I draw it?'_ Said demon begins to feed him instructions to draw the crest of Gremory on the ground with Paradise Lost. While it is hardly an appropriate use of the dagger, it does get the job done as the knife is sharp enough to cut into the rocky ground, creating the intricate crest with enough details for it to qualify as a magic circle. "You should probably leave for a bit. It might bring us trouble if we're seen together." She nods her head and leaves the place, leaving him alone. Well, time to see if this works.

 _ORC Clubroom_

"And that's how I summoned your father and got him to teleport me back to Kuoh." Of course, he falsified and omitted some details such as his interactions with Tiamat and his Personae in his story, but who cares? It's not like telling them about Tiamat being his familiar will do anything much, right?

"Wait. So let me get this right. You somehow stumbled upon the Chaos Karma Dragon's nest, fought her to a standstill and managed to evade her for several hours, before drawing a magic circle with your dagger to summon my father to teleport me back." He nods his head. Zeoticus Gremory looks quite impressed, as he stands in a corner while Akira recounts his tale to the rest of the ORC.

"Yes. It was a hard-fought battle, even if she didn't go all out. I nearly died there, in all honesty."

"I...I don't understand. How?" Clearly, they're getting a headache trying to comprehend what he just did.

He shrugs. "I was just lucky that she didn't truly see me as a real threat I guess."

"Very impressive, young magician. For you to be able to fight the Chaos Karma Dragon to a standstill even though she isn't going all out, you have potential." Zeoticus praises Akira and he merely smiles, accepting the compliment.

"It was luck. I really should be going now." He's not going to lie, but lying down on the cold, hard ground earlier gave him a backache. He misses his futon.

"We won't hold you up any longer. Have a good night." Zeoticus waves him goodbye. As he walks out of the ORC, door closing behind them, he sighs. Time to make a few phone calls.

As he walks out of the school, Ryuji finally picks up. "Sup Akira. Why are you calling so early in the morning?" Clearly, he'd caught the blonde in the middle of a gaming session. Well, with Ryuji, there's only one way to say it.

"Wanna know how I nearly got one-shot to death by a dragon in real life?"

* * *

 **Omake**

 _Cave_

"So, what happens now?" A feral growl escapes her lips. He doesn't like the sound of that.

"You'll be satisfying me." He blinks at that weird response.

"What?"

"I said, you'll be satisfying me." And then, the dragon with a libido that hasn't bee satisfied for a long, long time pounced on him, using her nails to rip his shirt into shreds immediately.

"I'm so fucked." He manages to get those words out, meaning it in both the literal and figurative sense before a pair of lips come crashing upon him, robbing him of any other thought as he embraces the dragon in his arms. Might as well go along with the flow.

 _Shrine_

"And that is how I ended up having a dragon that happens to have an insatiable sex drive for a familiar." He finishes his tale over the phone.

"Dude... That sounds awesome!" He sighs at Ryuji's reaction.

"No, it isn't." Having her pop out in the middle of the night just so that she could be satiated isn't something fun, especially when you're asleep. "Well, I'll go now. See you." As soon as he hangs up, a magic circle flares up on the floor and Tiamat appears on top of it.

"Time for another round, boy."

 **Omake End.**

* * *

 **A/N: Well, I wasn't expecting to finish this chapter this fast. Then again, it's probably because it's a direct continuation of the last chapter and I find it hard to ignore stuff that isn't complete. But yeah, this chapter covers a bit more on Personae but the explanation isn't exactly complete so yeah. Also, I hoped you guys liked the little omake.**

 **Anyways, I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter and leave a review if you guys think that there's room for improvement or any requests that you want! Some requests will be considered. Feel free to PM me if you want. Absurd requests are obviously not allowed and dun flame. I am only an amateur at this shit.**

 **On that note, peace out people!**

 **322n**


	10. First Measures

**Responding to Reviews 101**

 **Alright, let me make this clear. No, the omake is a joke obviously. It's just a thing that I made for fun. Might be an actual thing in the future though.**

 **FinzDragzer : I won't explain why Tiamat chose to make the contract for now, but suffice to say, Akira's more than meets the eyes to her. **

**Matemeo3 : Alright, let me clear some things up. The reason why the impact of his skills seem kind of underwhelming is that first of all, I'm writing from his POV. I am focusing on what he sees only. And Akira was mainly fighting to keep his life while hitting Tiamat. Normally, you won't care too much about terrain or such when fighting, unless you're attempting to use it to your advantage or people are using it in some way(e.g. sneak attacks) against you. Secondly, he's only mostly fought in Mementos. Mementos, I presume, is a malleable environment where you can hit it and you can still not deal any permanent damage to the environment, which is the explanation that I'm going with. That's why he disregards his environment as much as he does. And thirdly, he's rusty. You don't sharpen a blade, it eventually becomes dull. Same thing applies here. While he still has his instincts, they aren't as sharp anymore and he has only battled once after reawakening. **

**As for Zeoticus, yes, he's spotted the lies. But why does he stay silent? A bit more will be explained in this chapter. I'm well aware that he could have chosen to expose Akira at any moment but right now, he's caught something interesting about Akira so...**

 **CARN : 1. Yes, I will be focusing on that in the future. That is one of the routes that I have not only taken into consideration, but I've also made some plans for it as well. But Khaos Brigade arc hasn't arrived yet, so yeah. **

**2\. This is the one that I'm not too sure about. I am not going to lie, I'm not sure how I'm supposed to incorporate Arondight into the story without making it sound too unnatural. Also, thanks for bringing this up, because I wasn't aware that this was a thing until you mentioned it.**

 **3\. Yes, this will be another thing that I will talk about. I have done some research, but again, I don't wanna exactly spoil why Tiamat chose to make the contract even though she's indebted to Ajuka this early on.**

 **Also, thank you for putting in the effort for the reviews!**

 **Reenormie123: That is the point, I guess. I'm trying to recreate these scenarios where characters tend to interact with one another. So for now, it's Akeno.**

 _Location and Time_

POV

 **Persona Skills/Speech**

[Dragon Speech]

 _'Mental Speech'_

* * *

 _Saturday Morning, Kuoh Academy_

Akira's POV

"Wait, is this a joke that you made in poor taste? Are you prank calling me or something?" Akira stays silent, knowing that it is the easiest way for Ryuji to understand that it isn't a joke or anything of that nature. "Are you **for real**?!" Immediately, he can hear Ryuji fumbling in the background as his blonde friend tries to process the words of Akira. He chuckles at the reaction. Then again, it is to be expected. After all, he'd just claimed to have a near-death experience with a being that's supposed to be mythological in nature, much like their various Personae.

"As much as I don't want to admit it, it's true." He affirms his words. Even for someone like Ryuji, who typically takes things at face value, some things just can't be said without giving some sort of confirmation. "Well, I would tell you more. But I don't really have the time right now. There's just too much to explain."

"Then just summarize it."

He pauses. How does one exactly summarize what he's learned and experienced so far? "It's still too long of a tale. There's no way, in all honesty. "I guess the short version is that every single myth you know of exists. Think of the Biblical God. The Fallen Angels. The Devils. They exist, alongside various other factions and beings such as the Shinto, Norse, Youkai and more."

"Wait. Hold up. Does that mean that Seiten Tensei is real?" Something clicks within Ryuji's mind.

"He does. In the form of Sun Wu Kong." Rias happened to mention said Youkai as one of the strongest Senjutsu users present. If Ryuji were to meet him, who knows what would actually happen? "Although I suggest you don't expose anything for now. The Supernatural is meant to be kept hidden and for good reason. I don't really have the time to explain right now."

"Alright, I gotcha. What about the others?"

"I honestly don't know." He responds, sighing. "I wasn't thinking that far ahead." Frankly speaking, the reason why he called Ryuji first is that the blonde is the most likely of the lot to come to terms to the Supernatural world while being the calmest at the exposure of such an existence hidden right beneath their noses at the same time. Ann would definitely need some convincing, while Yusuke would definitely have quite an exaggerated reaction, something he doesn't want to deal with right now. Futaba and Makoto would most likely need some form of evidence, which he currently doesn't have, unfortunately. As for Haru... she's kind of a ditz. Not to insinuate anything, but it might take a while for his words to sink in so there's that.

"Well, let me know when you decide about it. I gotta go now before my mum wakes up."

"Yeah. See you." He hangs up, with that call. One down, five to go.

But he should probably stay in the area for now, since it's already going to be six in the morning and there are classes today, for half of the day. Thankfully, his wallet and bag are still with him, having been left in the ORC instead of bringing into the familiar forests. Now, time to pick up some breakfast.

* * *

 _ORC Clubroom_

Rias' POV

"So he's the one who is called Satanael, huh?" Her father immediately begins to speak, the moment Akira leaves.

"Yes, Father." What is her father up to?

"He's a mystery, alright. Whether he is the real Satanael, that might be up for debate." Akira might be an imposter? Although she hasn't had much information, she knows that Satanael is some sort of big shot.

"You're confused, aren't you? Then again, you have much to learn. You most likely couldn't hear the lies weaved within the truth." Rias blinks. How did Akira manage to lie with such a straight face, in front of her father no less? "He knows that it's most likely not going to work on me either. But it doesn't matter for now, because there is something more pressing. The point is, did you know what I felt when he first summoned me?"

"What is it, Father?" Something about the enigma that is Akira Kurusu is about to be unraveled and she wants to know what exactly is it, that makes even her father take a passing interest in him.

"He had the nature of a devil, the aura and all. And not just any devil." The implication of those last few words makes her understand something. Or so she thought...

"You're saying... He is a pureblood devil?" Rias' eyes widen. A pure-blooded devil had been hiding right under their noses this entire time? This could spell a lot of things for the Gremory Clan. A clash against two Pillars wouldn't be out of the question if it were truly the case. While the Gremory could afford to do so, any Pillar that was equal to the rank of a Duke or above could make them suffer.

Even if it was a Pillar below, a clash would definitely cost the Gremory no small price, even if they'd been given the rights to the land. And there was definitely incriminating evidence that Akira could easily pull out against her to prove that the Gremory hadn't done their part in managing the territory, as long as he proved that the fallen angels that he'd fought did not come to her or Sona beforehand to declare their intentions.

Her clan and Sona's could easily lose the rights to Kuoh if that were truly the case. All because of her.

"That's not all. As we teleported here, I felt his aura, his very _nature,_ what defines him change. It changed back to a normal human."

Rias tries to deny it, even though she knows what her father's hinting at. "But that should be impossible! A devil or human can't change their very own nature into something else by will!" It is a contradiction to everything she's learned as a Pure-Blooded Devil of the Gremory Clan so far. The only exceptions are Fallen Angels, but even they retain a semblance of their former self in the form of their wings and light manipulation.

"Yes, normally it would be. But there's a method. Forming a bond for two different beings to occupy a single vessel isn't out of the question, with one dominant presence at any given time, much like some Sacred Gears with unique sub-species Balance Breakers or Possession. However, therein lies the problem. If you claim him to be Satanael, how can this Akira Kurusu have the nature of a devil and human when it should be that of a fallen angel and a human?" Rias is hit with another big question, after that small bit of revelation. After all, her father does make sense. "And why did his personality not change in the slightest when his nature changed from a devil to a human?"

Then she realizes a crucial detail, one that she'd nearly missed from her Father's words. "Wait, you're saying that Satanael is a fallen angel?" This time, she cannot hold back her surprise. One bomb keeps dropping after another relentlessly, without pause. She'd actually housed a potential enemy in _her_ school? She'd willingly accepted him? The mere thought of it, the mere thought that he could have easily been a real threat to her peerage was more than enough to make her sick. She nearly blanches, but a comforting hand on the shoulder by Akeno manages to stop her from doing so. Right, Akeno also has a personal stake in this matter as well. She'd let her Queen willingly house him too. She doesn't need to look behind her to know that Akeno's reaction is less than savory as well.

"Now you understand why your mother and I would treat this as a serious matter? We will try to not get your brother involved, but we can only do so much. There's no telling what he might do once he finds out. You understand?" This time, Rias nods, visibly shaking this time around as she tries to calm herself down. "Good, I'll be leaving now. Do try to stay on his good side for now, because not even I can predict what will happen should... he turn rogue."

As soon as the Head of the Gremory Clan leaves, Rias sinks back onto her chair, still in disbelief. Not even her father, one of the strongest people in her life, could properly gauge how strong Akira truly is? She'd just realized how much of an enemy she'd almost made out of Akira Kurusu, a mistake that could have cost her everything. It also happens to make the upcoming threat to her freedom look like nothing more than an annoying fly in comparison. "So what now?" Yuuto is the first to break the silence, although his King doesn't have an answer to follow up on his words this time. No one does.

* * *

 _After School_

Akeno's POV

The bell rings, but Akeno does not immediately leave her seat. She remains rooted to her seat for a few more seconds, as she begins to slowly pack her books into her bag, lacking that sophisticated elegance that she typically has, whenever she is performing some sort of task in the school, be it packing her bag or simply walking down the hallway. The matter of Akira pretty much being a fallen angel still weighs heavily on her mind, after all.

How'd he even manage to hide that aspect of him anyway? From her encounters with him, she could only sense him as a human, nothing more. Her already keen magical senses had been further enhanced when she'd been given the Queen piece by Rias, so why did she fail to detect his true nature? Perhaps there was a seal in place that allowed him to purposely hide his power? No, that wouldn't make sense. A seal that is strong enough to suppress an Ultimate Class level combatant cannot be unsealed too fast without repercussions, otherwise, he would not have been able to face off against Tiamat without managing to escape. Another thought creeps into her mind. Is he truly just that strong when sealed?

But now that brings her to another question. Does he have connections to _him_? Or Satan forbid, knew why he didn't come? If he does...

What can she really do? Demand answers from him? Akira would most likely not even bother to entertain her words. Her shoulders slump as her body slackens, as she realizes that there's nothing she can really do without revealing her secret or risking an outright confrontation if Akira is the kind to guard his secrets closely. No way Akira is going to be that carefree to simply reveal more about himself.

She looks up again, only to meet a pair of brown eyes staring at her which jolts her out of her thoughts completely. She feels her cheeks burn hotly, a rare occurrence as her mind finally registers the fact that the person whom she was thinking of had been right in front of her all along, staring. "So, what's up?" It doesn't help that he has a smirk on his face.

"It's not polite to stare." She manages to get out, although she mentally cringes at the fact that she had nearly stuttered in front of Akira, of all people. Damm it, why is she even acting like this right now?

"Sorry, but you are too beautiful to not stare at." She is unable to suppress her blush. Instead, it further intensifies with his words. Since when was Akira such a good flirt? Was this one of those things that she'd failed to notice about him? He was not only a good cook but also knew how to make good coffee, a beverage that she typically shuns. Then she realizes something more crucial.

She just can't bring herself to hate Akira. Or simply dislike him. Even with the revelation of him having fallen blood within him. Avoiding him? Not a single thought of hers was in the consent of doing so. For the first time in a while, her heart and mind are both in agreement with the same thing.

"So what are you doing here, Akira-kun?" She finally manages to get a sentence out, without stuttering this time as well. She resumes her task of packing her bag, to distract herself from her current line of thought.

"I was walking past your classroom and you looked a bit lost." He freely admits. "Wanna go and grab some dinner?" She pauses, considering the offer. Dinner certainly sounds tempting.

"Sure." She finishes packing her bag. There's no real reason to reject his invitation. While she wouldn't normally accept anybody else's offer, her King currently needs some space to continue contemplating the potential threat that is right in front of her. Not only that, but Akira's also someone who she could actually relax around as he isn't someone who would be tongue-tied just being next to her, which tends to make the situation very awkward. Said person also happens to be a good talker, who could easily maintain conversations as long as he needs to, judging by how he knew when to disengage during their conversations over the last few weeks.

As the two of them step out of the building, a rare silence falls over the once noisy courtyard. Seconds later, the noise comes back once more in the form of murmurs amongst the various cliques of Kuoh Academy as they begin to discuss her and Akira's appearance. It was most probably because she hadn't let a single male walk near her for the last two years she'd attended Kuoh, with the exception of Kiba. Many of the students here had already accepted that fact and were fine with it since Kiba was part of the Occult Research Club as well and he didn't show any form of affection towards Akeno, but Akira? It's certainly new for sure.

While he'd been spotted once walking into school, such an event hadn't happened again and with Akira being formally inducted to Kuoh Academy as a student, many had simply written it off as the girl helping someone unfamiliar with the academy to the office, nothing more. But the fact that they are walking together again indicates that it is more than that and any male student that harbors any form of attraction towards Akeno Himejima found themselves... feeling a little jealous.

Akeno just continues to stride forward, ignoring the stares and murmurs although she can clearly hear what everyone else is saying with her enhanced senses. Having been the subject of such talk for the better part of her high school life, she hardly cares about such minor things. What about Akira? She glances to the side, to find Akira also not being affected by the whispers in the least as well. Then again, his record did say that he'd been given a false criminal record and had to spend a year in Shujin Academy. He's probably used such things as well by now.

Akira's POV

As much as he tries to not let it show, Akira is still feeling kind of unsettled as he is subjected to the multiple gazes, even if it's for a different reason this time. Pretty much the entire male population of the academy has some killing intent aimed against him, although it cannot surpass what a single God can mete out. But still, it irritates him that they keep glaring at him for a reason that is pathetic, in his eyes. Jealously? If they are jealous, they should do something about it instead of trying to bore holes through his back with their eyes.

For the girls, they unsettle him even more. He shudders slightly. Girls are unpredictable in many ways, there's no way he wants to even try and figure out what they're thinking right now.

As they finally clear the school gate, Akira sighs in relief. There aren't many people out here as compared to within the school, thankfully. However, he could have sworn that there was still someone else staring at him. He turns his head around, to make sure that no one is looking at him. Fortunately, there is no one else. It must have been one of the boys who were jealous and near the main gate. Or was it Rias? He glances at the ORC window, which would have provided the redhead with a good vantage point of the school courtyard had it been open.

Akeno takes his action as an indication of something. "Sorry for putting you through this. I'd hoped that the academy would have been more receptive to me being around a male's company with Yuuto's help."

"No worries." He simply responds. He understands that it isn't something that Akeno can control, after all. Although, he should probably try to rein in his flirting. It's what got him into trouble in the first place and he doesn't need a repeat of that.

"So what do you want to eat? Sushi?" He suggests.

"Sure. Your treat?" Akeno pouts and he decides to give in this on this one. Not going to lie, she's pretty cute when she does that. That and he has deep pockets filled with yen anyways.

"Alright then."

 _Shrine_

Dinner had certainly been a pleasant affair, especially with Akeno's presence. He'd also remembered to grab some sushi for Morgana, which was currently being devoured by Morgana who was on the porch with gusto. He'd been putting off a few things he urgently needs to do for a while now. Now he needs to make another call or two, and he knows who exactly to call next. While many no doubt have access to the information already, it is still better to lock down any possible leaks as soon as possible, with the help of two of his confidants. Some might also grow complacent, thinking that they can access the information anytime with magic. Could magic actually pierce through firewalls, security measures and trojan horses placed by one of the best hackers in the world? Only time will tell. But first of all, a quick call to someone else.

"Akira-kun. To what do I own the pleasure of this call?" Sae's tone is relaxed. For now.

"Sae-san. I need you to do me a favour. Is Makoto or anyone next to you right now?" He assumes the serious tone saved for expeditions in the Metaverse, as he hears nothing but silence from the other end for a few moments. Sae should understand that it is something serious.

"No, I'm still at work and I'm alone in my office. Why?" Good. There isn't any point in messing around for now. Her tone is suddenly more rigid.

"What is the current access to the Phantom Thieves case records in police like? What are the security measures?"

A sigh is heard from the other line. "What is your goal with this, Kurusu Akira?"

"Certain things... that I have been previously unaware of were revealed to me recently. I need to implement some security measures. Starting with the Phantom Thieves case records for one." He decides to go with a half-truth for now, subtly hinting about a few things. Including the fact that her sister might be in danger. He trusts Sae to understand his words. It wouldn't do to put Sae in danger, but she deserves to know a few things at least. Thankfully, his phone is encrypted, with the help of Futaba.

Another sigh. "Very well then, Akira-kun. You've made your point. The case has been closed, so only officers who were a part of the case are naturally allowed to look at the records, but only the overview of it. For some of the more detailed reports, the access has been locked to Inspectors and above. Only me, the Senior Commissioners and the Superindent General have access to the full reports." Shit, that isn't good. Just Inspectors? Anyone of the Inspectors could have leaked information, or they could have been mind-controlled to gain access to the records. Some of the detailed reports no doubt captured his full profile, alongside any suspects that were particularly noted to have close interactions with him. His blood freezes, as he recalls the interrogation session with Sae, when she had read the names of his confidants off the list. Such details had to be kept as well, no doubt about it. This is not good. While it might not have been privy to the Inspectors, he isn't going to take the chance.

"Sae. I need you to lock access to the case. Make sure that you are the only one who can access it. I also want you to grant admin privileges to Futaba. I am going to ask her to reinforce it for you." Without hesitating any further, he decides on a course of action.

"It can be implemented by tomorrow. But I expect an explanation soon." With that, Sae hangs up. Of course. Well, he'll cross that bridge when it comes.

He dials Futaba's number, not even having to wait for a few seconds before the call is connected. "Akira-kun! I can't believe you called Ryuji and Sae-san instead of me first!" He stills for a second. Futaba must have wiretapped his phone as well when she encrypted it for him. He makes a mental note to remind Futaba to remove it in the future, but for now, there are more pressing matters.

"Yes, I did. Listen well now, Futaba. I need you to do something with Sae's help." His tone is serious once again.

Futaba is silent for a second before she responds. "What is it, Joker?" Good. Futaba clearly knows that what he's about to speak of is going to be a serious issue.

"I have asked Sae to give you admin privileges to the Phantom Thieves case files and records. I want you to reinforce the security of it in any way possible. Trojan horses, firewalls, anything goes. Just make sure that only you and Sae can access it. I need you to do it as soon as possible." He states it with urgency. This course of action would buy him some much needed time to get used to the Supernatural, while slowly introducing his friends. Of course, he has no plans to leave them in the dark for any longer, but he needs to lay out the groundwork first. Ryuji might have knowledge of it, but it's superficial at best for now and he wants to keep it that way for now.

"I'll get it done." A pause. "You've gotten yourself into some trouble again, haven't you?" He hasn't expected anything lesser than this when he first dialed in the number. She's smart enough to piece together a part of the puzzle, that much he has expected.

"I'm sorry for not giving any answers right now, but I promise you will have them soon." He decides to add on to lessen Futaba's worries slightly.

"Thank you, Akira." With that, the second phone call is done.

Morgana stares at him from the door, a bit of rice around his whiskers.

"Explain. Now."

 **A/N: So yeah, that's the end of this chapter. A bit of a filler, we learn more stuff about why Zeoticus doesn't act against Akira immediately. Basically he can't determine whether Akira's a threat or an ally, since, you know, Lucifer and all that stuff. I originally wanted to do this chapter in a different way, but I figured this was the best way to go about it so yeah. It is shorter than usual chapters as well, maybe around 4k words at most, so I'm sorry if you guys wanted more. I can't promise when the next chapter comes but I'll try to get it out by next month.**

 **Anyways, I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter and leave a review if you guys think that there's room for improvement or any requests that you want! Some requests will be considered. Feel free to PM me if you want. Absurd requests are obviously not allowed and dun flame. I am only an amateur at this.**

 **On that note, peace out people!**


	11. Oh, you're approaching me?

**Edit:**

 **28/4, 10.46pm: Added in some extra stuff and extra author's note below.**

Akira's POV

 _Park, Three Days later_

It hadn't been a pleasant conversation. Morgana had taken every single ounce of information that he reluctantly let out of his lips and questioned it without hesitation. In the end, he'd been forced to reveal more information than he would have liked. Then again, Morgana had been there with them from the very beginning so he deserved to know at least. But he hadn't regained Zorro nor Mercurius, a fact that could possibly make him a target with no means of self-defense if it wasn't for the fact that his feline appearance helped to disguise who he truly is.

But even so, was there any spell capable of figuring out animal speech? There has to be. He doesn't want to risk anything when he's still considered an unknown to almost everyone with the exception of the Devils of Kuoh for now. Tch, he should stop brooding on this topic for a while. It'll be a while before anyone can actually figure out Morgana's speech ability. His thoughts are, however, interrupted by approaching footsteps.

"Hello, Kurusu Akira-san. I was wondering if we could have a talk?" He looks at the trio that has approached him. They're clearly not here with hostile intentions, so what do they want from approaching him? They're no doubt all humans, but something tells him that they all have something that makes them stand out from normal people. Perhaps they have Sacred Gears?

"Who are you and what do you want?" There are several possibilities, a myriad of scenarios running through his mind. His hand is already in his bag, ready to pull out Nataraja if needed.

"We do not mean any harm, we just want to speak." Despite the attempted reassurance by the person at the front who seems to be the leader, his fingers curl around the familiar pistol, ready to pull it out and fire at any time. "As for who we are, my name is Cao Cao, the descendant of Cao Cao from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms era." Interesting. What does he want by stating his ancestry? Does it have something to do with the organization that he's from?

"Georg, descendant of Georg Faust." The magician who made a pact with Mephisto? Georg adjusts his glasses as if to prove a point. So this is also most likely the mage of the three.

"Jeanne, carrier of the Spirit of Jeanne d' Arc! Nice to meet you, Akira-kun!" And the cheerful person of the trio. She is the only one of the three who appear to be armed, with a rapier sheathed at the side. Yet, the leader seems to be Cao Cao. He must be stronger in some way, perhaps a potent Sacred Gear? It might not be too far fetched to say that Cao Cao might even have a Longinus.

"So what do you three want?"

"We'll like to ask you to join our faction, as we could use someone capable like you." This raises several questions.

"How do you know about me? And what faction are you talking about?" These two are the most important questions. Have they discovered his ability to summon Personae?

"We've... read about your ability to steal hearts and change their minds, and you've used it to target people who were guilty of various crimes. Even if we're unsure about the specifics, it is rather unique. Such a useful ability, not using it would be such a waste, wouldn't it?" So they must have seen some of the case records, but not enough to know how each theft is pulled off. After all, he did inform Sae of the cognitive world, which would have no doubt been recorded down.

"I'm afraid I don't possess that ability anymore." He frankly states. There isn't a point in hiding that much. Cao Cao doesn't seem too disappointed, as if he expected it.

"But your combat prowess should be pretty good, no? You managed to defeat several fallen angels on your own and supposedly, they were way below you in terms of power." Akira frowns. So they've been keeping tabs on him? Clearly, Cao Cao has noticed his expression. "Don't worry, we didn't stalk you or anything. We intercepted a report, nothing more." Fair enough. So they've been tracking him for a while now, no doubt about it. "I suppose, the interesting thing is, when we tried to get to the case records that involved you once again, it suddenly turned into a minefield. Even Georg here couldn't break through it without risk of deleting the data by accident."

Good, so his safety measures are already paying off. They clearly wanted to dive deeper into the records through magic. From what he heard, human magicians tend to use mathematics and precise calculations to perform magic. But for something that's been encrypted and reinforced heavily, there's no hope of using magic to breach the various barriers and safety measures, it seems. So, unless someone us a technological expert on the level of Futaba, they'll find themselves unable to get to his case records apparently. Not even other forms of magic might be able to do it as well. Only time would tell. "I see. That's a pity."

"As for our faction, we're part of the Hero Faction. We're humanity's finest and we're a group of humans who strive to fight against beings who bring harm to humans. We'll like your help in our fight against these beings." Akira narrows his eyes.

"Why would I help you?"

"Because I believe you can help us make a difference. Think of it as words from a fellow hero." Fellow hero? He'd saved the entire human populace from the control of a God(even if it was unintentional in the first place). This so-called Hero Faction has no right to speak of themselves being heroes in the first place.

"Let me ask you this then. Where were you when Yaldabaoth appeared in Tokyo, ready to subjugate us and make us submit to his will? Because I only saw the Phantom Thieves risking their lives against a God who wanted nothing more than to grant humans what he deemed freedom. Where was the Hero Faction?" He decides to ask this question since they no doubt already suspect of his identity as a Phantom Thief. For all he knows, they probably already know that he is the Leader of the Phantom Thieves, given the content of the case records. And there's also no way that they could not have noticed the descent of a God.

"..." Cao Cao doesn't seem to have a reply.

"I would say sorry, but I'm not sorry. I refuse your invitation." He might as well end the conversation here. "I don't believe that the three of you, or anyone in your faction is a true hero. Let me get a few things straight. First of all, you are not humanity's finest" He hears the agreement from various Personae within his mind. Siegfried, the slayer of a Dragon. Scathach, Godslayer and Teacher of Setanta. Cú Chulainn, Hound of Ulster. Valkyrie, Choosers of the Slain. Yoshitsune, whose skill with a blade is nearly unrivaled. While these various Personae do have their differences, they do agree on the same thing. The humans before them, are not true heroes. Merely humans, nothing more compared to the likes of them. Hell, they do not even meet the basic requirement, if there was one. None of them could hope to stand up to the heroes of old, all of whom had faced various trials throughout their lives, some of which cost them things that were even more precious than life itself.

A hero? One does not simply become one because they are. It is bold of them to assume that they are heroes just because they house spirits or are descendants of one. What truly makes a hero? Who knows, but it's for certain, their justice is not the same as his. He can tell. That's why he'll never join them.

"And secondly, the moment you try to become a hero." He pauses for a moment, feeling the surge of rage that he tries to calm but fails. "Is the moment you are no longer fit to be one." He hisses at the end. Now he's genuinely angry and pissed, as his thoughts feel like they're racing at several hundred miles per hour. If there had been other people who helped them to combat Yaldabaoth, would he and his nakama have been driven so close to the brink of death? What would have happened if he failed to break the chains that shackled Satanael? He would have died, alongside his friends for sure. Yaldabaoth would not have tolerated rebels like him and his friends. He couldn't just rely on luck and his bonds of power alone. Sure, they are two powerful tools but relying on them like a crutch would bring nothing but endless trouble in the end. This so-called Hero Faction could have helped them, even if they didn't have much. This time, even Kohryu stirs a little, approving of his words.

There's no way in hell that Cao Cao can beat him. Even if he has a Longinus of sorts, he's pretty confident of matching up against opponents as long as he uses his Personae and his ammo conservatively. If he'd been more careful in his fight against Tiamat, he might have won as well. So what can a mere Cao Cao, Georg, and Jeanne do to him? Cao Cao looks somewhat displeased, as well as Georg and Jeanne. He probably hit a sore spot with his words, but does it really matter at this point? "Very well then, Akira Kurusu. The next time we meet, it will most likely be on the battlefield."

The barely concealed threat is there. "I suggest you prepare yourself. I'm a fairly hard guy to beat." With that, he begins his walk away, having returned a provocation of his own to Cao Cao. Would Cao Cao stand for it?

He's confident in his skills. For now, however, he shouldn't try to underestimate these guys, even if they're human. They probably also have something else up their sleeves, like a Sacred Gear. Worst case scenario? A Longinus, something that he isn't comfortable facing against just yet. After all, they're supposed to be instruments that can even kill Gods. Something like Boosted Gear is considered a Mid-Tier Longinus at best. He still hasn't figured out what truly makes the Boosted Gear a Longinus, aside from the fact that it holds the soul of a Dragon within it. Yes, the Boost function works wonders, but there is something else about it that is hidden, perhaps the Balance Breaker? No, impossible. The Balance Breaker is already a bug in itself, or something like that, so there is something that must make it a Mid-Tier Longinus. Anyway, enough of that.

"Come on, Cao Cao, Jeanne. Let's go." A few moments later, he turns to look around, only to see mist covering the area where the three of them had been, and their figures vanish within that mist. When the mist finally fades away, the trio is gone, with no traces of their presence from earlier. He sighs again. How troublesome. So he'd already made an enemy. And that mist, how curious. Perhaps he could ask around as to what kind of Sacred Gear makes use of a mist to transport or hide people? It could potentially pose troubles for him, after all.

School

"So I heard you were super strong right, Kurusu-senpai? Can you help me with something?" Akira takes a look at the pervert. He never thought that Hyoudou Issei would be the one to approach him first. Well, he did kind of frighten him back when he took a look at his weapons. It wasn't exactly the best first impression, and he hadn't tried to make up for it afterward. Still, what is with all the people approaching him recently?

"I might regret asking, but what is it?" He sighs. Immediately, his kouhai's eyes light up. The words that would soon leave the mouth of Issei would be something ridiculous, wouldn't it?

"I need your help to secure Rias' virginity!" He declares in a loud voice, even pumping his fist in a seemingly triumphant manner. If it wasn't for the fact that they were hardly any people around the area that he tends to linger around, he would have used Morning Star just for the express purpose of digging a hole just so that he can have a hole big enough to hide in and never step out of.

Yep, he was definitely beginning to regret his decision. But first of all, he needs more context. "You know, you should give me a summary of what happened instead of saying that right away. I am really tempted to dig myself a house underground, become a NEET and never come out again right now." He deadpans.

"Oops?" Issei scratches his head sheepishly, before assuming quite the serious expression. "So last night, Buchou visited my house last night and she asked me to take her virginity." Akira blinks. That wasn't quite what he expected.

Asking someone like Issei to take her virginity? Rias must have had a screw loose or something to even attempt something like that. "But I didn't do it, because I thought it would be wrong." Good. At least Issei had some morals when it came to something like this. "Then the busty maid from before teleported in and got Rias away." So Grayfia Lucifuge had intervened once again? What was exactly her link to Rias? Right, Queen of the Satan whose sister happened to be Rias.

"Then during our club meeting today, some Phenex guy teleported in with his peerage and called himself Rias' fiance." Now that's new. Rias is engaged? Must be some political marriage that was agreed on and Rias had no say in, if the politics of Hell is similar to the real world. Sure enough, Haru's past situation comes to mind. But that's not the point right now. He can't change the guy's heart.

"So Rias tried to give her virginity to you to get out of her engagement?" That is the most obvious thing that comes to mind after he connects all the dots.

"Yeah, and now we have to fight that fried chicken to secure Rias' virginity!" A fight? That included Issei?

"A fight between peerages huh?" So that's how it went down in the end and Rias and her peerage has probably a limited time to train. Interesting situation.

"So, please train me, Kurusu-senpai! Make me strong enough to defeat that fried chicken!" He blinks. That request... wasn't unreasonable. He was half-expecting a plea to join Rias' peerage to help even the odds against Rias.

But now he has another question. "Why do you think I should train you?"

"Because Ddraig sai-!" Issei looks as if he made a mistake and covered his mouth, but it's too late. Ddraig of the Two Heavenly Dragons? It could only mean one thing. Well, he can see why Issei wanted to keep it silent.

"So you're the wielder of the Boosted Gear this generation?" Issei looks glum, realizing that he's revealed something he shouldn't have and nods simply. Now that's one hell of an edge that Issei has. Even if it isn't tempered, given enough time, his fighting power could easily reach the strongest of his Personae. Could he work with that? From Issei's sheer desperation alone right now, the enemy is no doubt strong. The Boosted Gear alone might be powerful enough of an equalizer to help make up for the lack of firepower if what he's heard is right.

No. That would be simply too foolish. Relying on something like that until it became your crutch could be a fatal weakness, something that he's learned from Kamoshida's Palace. He'd spammed his Personae until they were out of SP(or mana), only realizing the beginner mistake that he'd made afterward, drunk off the power of his Personae. There's probably only one way to train him if he accepts. "So, will you train me?"

"I want you to tell me from the bottom of your heart. Why?" Issei looks conflicted at that response. "You know that even if you train, you might not have the ability to defeat Riser Phenex. Riser Phenex is clearly almost an insurmountable mountain to you. Why do you want to defeat him, even though you yourself know that there's barely any chance to defeat him?" It's clear. If they do not defeat Riser Phenex, he'll be unable to protect Rias Gremory.

"Because I don't want to see Rias getting hurt." It is a nice goal, but there's something he's missing. There has to be a reason why he's willing to fight for her, to the point where he seems somewhat desperate?

"Why? She saved your life?"

"Yes. She gave me a new life when I was dying to the fallen angel after the fallen angel and I went on a date, something that I can never repay her for." ...This isn't good. If his suspicions are right, then it can only mean one thing. He begins to connect several dots together. Fallen angel. Peerage. Devil. Territory.

The fallen angels had to have been in Kuoh for a while if they were already here way back when Issei died. Killing Issei must have been part of their objective, since they were willing to extract a Sacred Gear from the nun and given how Issei had a Sacred Gear. Kuoh was under the governance of two High-Class Devils, both of whom happened to be related to a leader of their race. There was no way that the fallen angels would have undergone detection in the first place. Not only that, but Akeno did also warn him of there being odd phenomenon in the church back when they still assumed that he was still a human. So that would mean that they had already been aware of their presence for quite some time, even established where their base was.

"Any other reason?" He decides to probe deeper. He doesn't want Issei's own reasoning to be clouded because of just one girl. For one, it isn't healthy. And when he finds out the truth, it'll bring nothing but a pain if this goes on.

"What do you mean?" As expected, Issei is confused.

"Fighting for someone else's sake is admirable, but while you fight for others, you also have to keep yourself in mind. If you lose your life or ability to fight, how can you fight for someone else?" He can feel his bullshitting skill go up by a level, but it is true anyway. You can't fight just for others and ignore everything about yourself. No one's actually that dumb to do it, right?

Somewhere in another universe, an auburn-haired boy sneezes.

"Oh."

"Let's make a deal. I'll train you. On one condition."

"Name it!"

"By the end of our training. I want you to answer my question."

Well, there's only one real answer to this, isn't there? Plus, there's also an opportunity for me to train himself as well. "Sure, all I need is your address and phone number." Poor Issei wouldn't know what hit him. Meh, he'll inform Akeno later or something.

 _Waterfall_

Well, getting Tiamat to reverse summon him hadn't been much of an issue, but he made sure to board the first train out of Kuoh before doing so, while lugging the pervert along. Well, it wasn't as much of a reverse summon as it was him heading to a place where Tiamat could safely create something called a Dragon Gate for him to pass through into the Familiar Forest without too much trouble. He didn't even know something like this was possible until he'd asked Tiamat. Turns out it's something like the devil's teleportation circle, but for Dragons or those that they approve only.

"So, what's your appraisal of him?" They're currently calmly watching Issei continuously get battered by the waterfall.

"Disappointing." Immediately, Tiamat had come up with a single word response. Indeed, Issei isn't worthy of the Boosted Gear. Well, the Issei right now at least. Disappointing? That's the most likely word that would be used to describe Issei, should he ask any of his Personae as well. "The only thing he has going for him is his devil traits after being reincarnated but it's disappointing even when I compare to the young ones that I've seen. I almost pity the Welsh this time." The wording of her words is rather odd, to say the least. Almost? Only one possibility comes to mind.

"What grudge do you hold against him?" They've no doubt lived for a very long time. A grudge probably doesn't take anything less than a millennium to even lessen a bit, for beings like them.

Tiamat gives him a blank look. "He did not earn his title by asking kindly." Oh. That kind of grudge. No wonder she even had a bit of glee on her face when he threw Issei into the waterfall. Well, Issei's going to need a lot of help, especially if his opponent is a Phenex. The famed flames and regeneration are two things that his opponent has, while Issei has only the Boosted Gear and his current limit doesn't seem to be very high. "Do you intend to train him like this? By throwing him into harsh situations?" He nods his head. There's really no other way he can think of to improve Issei within ten days or so.

Maybe if he had a month, he could have come up with something different but as for now, this is the most efficient method, even if it is brutal. As for whether it would allow Issei to grow strong enough to contest against an enemy with regeneration and potent fire at his disposal, that'll be hard to decide. Honestly, Issei wouldn't stand too much of a chance, even if he goes through these ten days of training. In fact, it might be impossible. His Personae spells are not suitable to be taught to Issei since Devils use a different magic system in the form of imagination and magic circles. Issei would need some sort of spell or fighting ability like a martial art or a few spells to fight back, otherwise, at best he would be just a tank without any offensive abilities at the end of these ten days. Such things, however, also require time. A period of time that they do not have.

Well, time to direct the conversation in another direction for now. "I need to ask you one thing, Tiamat. What exactly is the Hero Faction?"

Akeno's POV

"So Ise-san isn't here?" She is part of the two people who are overhearing Yuuto's conversation with Issei's mother.

"Ah yes! He told me that he'd be going out with a senior of his for the next few days! The bag that I've packed for him is gone, and he didn't even say bye to me before leaving! When I woke up this morning, he was already gone!" Akeno frowns slightly. A pity.

"I see. Thank you, Hyoudou-san." As he rejoins the two of them, he shakes his head in the negative.

"Then our only lead is Akira-san, huh?" The evidence is damming. Issei's mother had mentioned a senior, who was no doubt Akira and she didn't find Akira anywhere in the house nor the school today so far when they were supposed to go up the mountains to train. However, locating Akira is a task easier said than done. From her interactions with him, if Akira doesn't want to be found, it's next to impossible to find him, as proven from how he manages to slip away every time when they are walking to school without fail. And she considered herself pretty good at stealth. To be beaten by a human? That might be slightly more embarrassing than she'll admit.

"Train first. Worry about pervert later." She considered Koneko's words for a moment. However, is it really worth continuing to train without Issei? The Pawn is no doubt their greatest ace in the hole, since it is only through the usage of the Boosted Gear that they can make up for the lack of firepower they have against the Phenex and his peerage. But another thought crosses her mind.

"No, I'm afraid we can't, Koneko-chan. I know that you dislike Issei and his perverted tendencies, but as it stands, we cannot fight Raiser without the firepower that Issei's Boosted Gear brings." Koneko nods simply. She takes out her phone, about to call Buchou when she finds it ringing with an known number.

Akeno gingerly picks up her phone. "Akira-kun?" There is the sound of a waterfall. Where exactly did Akira go? She has seen a map of the geography of Kuoh and the surrounding areas, but no waterfall had been present on the map. He couldn't have just flown out of the country or something, right?

"Ah, Akeno-chan. Sorry for not calling you earlier. I'm currently training Issei. I'm currently somewhere unknown, so don't bother asking where I am. I can only guarantee that we'll be back by the time limit." Unknown? Clearly, Akira doesn't want to give away his location.

"You do realize that this makes things difficult for me, right? Rias is looking for him to train him, you know?" She forms a pout unknowingly.

"Ah, right. Sorry about that. No offense, but I think I'll be a better trainer than Rias, or you." Beside her, both Kiba and Koneko frown, but they can't really say anything. Escaping from a being beyond Ultimate Class is no small feat, after all. She is also tongue-tied for once. She would have normally come up with a quick retort, but as she moves her mouth to speak, she realizes that she cannot hope to rebuke him.

"Y-you win, I guess." She relents. There's no way that she can persuade Akira otherwise, especially when he sounds deadset on training Issei.

"Thanks for trusting me, Akeno-chan." With that, Akira hangs up.

"Well, guess we're going to follow Koneko's suggestion." Koneko's lips curl upwards, clearly victorious in getting what she wants. That is, a training trip without Issei.

Issei's POV

Issei isn't having fun. How the hell did his senpai manage to kidnap him and then proceed to drag him all the way from his home to the nearby mountains while he was still sleeping? The best part? He'd even managed to grab the bag that his mother had packed for him and grabbed him at the same time and proceeded to wake him up at around 8am in the morning.

By tossing him into a lake that had a waterfall that was constantly dispensing water on him. Surely Akira-senpai is much more of a devil than him. The impromptu cold shower had woken him up and Ddraig hadn't even bothered to wake him before that! Not even a warning or anything. So much for his partner. [It's good training.] Is all he said before the dragon went quiet once more.

"Damm it, Akira-senpai! Why are you doing this?" He manages to get out, despite the freezing temperature. There is a barrier of ice around the edges of the shore, tall enough to prevent him from getting past without breaking through.

"I did say I was going to train you. Never did I say how I was going to train you. The only thing you need to do is to endure for now." Different kind of training?

[He means surviving. Training to fight and training to survive are two separate things. Most likely, he's teaching you this way because it's the only way he knows.] Surviving? What's the difference? He can't really think much right now, with the harshness of the cold water beating against him as he tries to continuously withstand it. [Every attack dodged means you can stay in the battlefield for another moment. Every hit that you withstand means being able to retain your footing on the battlefield.] Surprisingly, Ddraig was being rather cooperative today. But why this kind of training? [Because, even if you defeat your opponent, what's the point if you die alongside him as well? Your opponent at least has a way of recovering even after being defeated to not get kicked out of the Rating Game. What about you?] Oh.

"So what do I do, Akira-senpai?!" He manages to finally catch his breath long enough to shout those words out after a few minutes. He can't help but catch a glimpse of the gorgeous bombshell standing next to Akira, as he continues to try and find a proper footing while kicking his feet constantly to stay afloat. [Be very careful. The one standing next to that human is someone that you could not hope to beat at all, at your current level. You're five hundred years too young to even hope to go up against her.]

So Akira-senpai has managed to get a woman? And a powerful one at that? Damm, he knew that his senpai is a chick magnet, but for him to actually see it now is a whole another thing. [Well, she's actually pretty old, all things considered. I don't think that the Chaos Karma Dragon would hold any affection for anyone, especially a human. It's been a long time since I've heard that she's taken a fancy on someone. Her basic requirement is that they must be able to fight onto a standstill with her, at the very least. Running is nothing more than a coward's actions in her eyes.] Chaos Karm- wait what? As in the Dragon that Akira escaped from back when they first visited the Familiar Forest?

[Didn't you hear what that Head of Gremory said? He was clearly lying about some details. This might just be one of the details.]

"Get out of the lake and climb back up here," Easier said than done. Getting out of the waterfall is probably not that hard. Right? "Every 30 seconds, I'll turn up the heat." That can't be that bad, right? He hears Akira say something over the roar of the waterfall, but he can't make out the words before he feels the water grow hotter. What was originally a freezing cold waterfall battering him is now a moderately hot waterfall, around room temperature. [Get out, fast. If you don't want to scald yourself within a minute.] One? That's not a lot of time.

Upon Ddraig's odd insistence, he begins to furiously kick his feet as fast as possible while constantly moving his hands outward. Suddenly, it seems as if the shore is further away than it was earlier. He's slowly making progress, but is it enough? The heat is cranked up even further, as he feels it change to the temperature that his mother would typically use for showering, somewhere around 40 to 50 degrees. Now he can see why Ddraig insisted as such. If it is turned up even more, it would reach the point where the pool would be as hot as the water typically used for hot drinks. [BOOST!] He summons the Boosted Gear to boost him once.

Finally, within the last second, he manages to get it out, just as Akira is about to crank up the heat. "So you had to use the Boosted Gear to increase your speed? We'll work on that." Oh no, that cannot be good, can it? Akira had just casually tossed him into a waterfall, yet it seems to be only the beginning. "We'll work on your speed and endurance a bit more. Don't worry, I'll also be training myself as well." That last sentence makes Issei shudder, for some reason.

"So what do I do now?" He dreads to ask the question but asks it anyway. "You'll be running." Running? That sounds pretty straightforward. He'd been forced to wake up at 4am in the morning to train by Rias, after all. Not that he complained, especially when Buchou always wore that tracksuit that still showed off her great figure anyway. As soon as he gets to where Akira is, Akira gestures for him to begin running, and he does. "Oh, did I mention? If you slow down, I'll hit you with one of my spells." Immediately, an explosion occurs behind him, the force of it enough to push him forward by several steps. At this point, is it safe to say that Akira is more of a devil than he is?

 _"On the subject of heroes; when you try to become one is the moment you are disqualified."  
\- __Shuichi Kitaoka, from Kamen Rider Ryuki_

 **A/N: Thought I'll end this chapter here, for now, the next chapter will cover Issei's training in more detail. I wanted to write more, but I think this is as good as a place to stop for now. So why did I put his encounter with the Hero Faction here first? Because the Hero Faction would probably prioritize a human more than any other faction right now apart from the Shinto.**

 **Anyways, I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter and leave a review if you guys think that there's room for improvement or any requests that you want! Some requests will be considered. Feel free to PM me if you want. Absurd requests are obviously not allowed and dun flame. I am only an amateur at this shit.**

 **On that note, peace out people!**

 **322n**

 **28/4**

 **Extra A/N: Yes, I'm sorry, this fanfic hasn't been given the attention it deserves because quite frankly, life. Back in December, after the last update, I didn't have time afterward because driving lessons + work is kind of a bitch. Then New Year came and quite frankly, it wasn't the best New Year because I was juggling between school and work during that period. Then Chinese New Year and exams came, then COVID-19 and tldr I had to sort through a lot of admin stuff because I wasn't going to get any more part-time work for a while and I had to handle some school financial affairs as well. I wanted to continue on the next chapter, but I realized I didn't like how the next chapter was going and I could have added some stuff for this chapter so I basically tore down the next chapter, rewrote it partially and added in more stuff here.**

 **When will the next chapter come out? Probably within this week, next week latest.**


	12. What does the devil dream of?

**A/N: For those who read the previous chapter before 28/04/2020, you might want to probably re-read the previous chapter because I added some extra stuff.**

Issei's POV

 _School, before the match_

The previous ten days had felt like shit pretty much, now that he looked back at it. The first day, if he could sum it up in a single word, it would be torture. There's no other way to describe it. He'd been somehow abducted and brought into the Familiar Forest, by some random means and then tossed into a waterfall, before being forced to swim out and run what felt like a marathon until noon. After that? More running and fitness training, along with some... encouragement.

The second day had been worse. Their conversation had gone like this. "So are you going to teach me some special move to defeat Riser?"

"As if I could. Akeno would be a better tutor for devil magic. It's fuelled by imagination, after all, and my magic doesn't work that way."

"So I can't learn any cool magic to blast the Yakitori's face?"

"Nope. You're gonna have to learn something else. Also, remember, I want you to answer my question after the next several days." Then he'd been forced to endure several harsh beatings, each one capable of making him feel like he'd nearly died all over again from that light spear.

The third day. Repeat the second day. In fact, it was a bit worse. The dragon lady had come over to laugh at him. His pride shattered on that day once again, as he laid on that ground, beaten to an inch of his life while a female laughed at his plight. Only this time, it wasn't the kendo club that beat him up and not Aika who was laughing at him and it felt as if he was going to die for real.

He didn't even want to think about the other days anymore. It was just too much, even if it was repeating some things over and over again. Akira-senpai would have been much more suited to be a devil than him, that was for sure. But still, was it really the right choice to come to him for the training? Could he have been better off training with Rias? On the bright side, his Boosted Gear evolved! And apparently something had been unsealed, according to Akira. Turns out getting beaten up meant that his body was improving rapidly, allowing him to fully contain the Evil Pieces used to resurrect him. "Some yen for your thoughts?" He's broken out of his stupor by his trainer who is walking beside him.

"Nothing, just nervous."

"I'll ask you now then. What is your reason for fighting?"

He's had time to think about it. During the nights and breaks that he got, he always devoted some time to think about it. The answer he finally came to, it was satisfactory. For himself, that is. As for Akira? He's afraid, honestly. Afraid that he might get laughed at. Why is he so nervous now? He's always proclaimed his dream proudly, but this time, it's different. Is it really the right dream to pursue? "I... I want to make my dream come true."

"That dream is?"

"I want to be a Harem King. Defeating Riser is only the first step to that dream." Any moment now, and he'll hear laughter, mocking, and ridicule likes he always does when proclaiming it.

Wait, where is it? "Hm. I see." Instead, all he gets is a neutral expression. "What's wrong?" He must have been making some sort of face for Akira to ask.

"I thought you would have laughed at me. Mock me. Many people said that my dream was ridiculous." Issei admits.

"A dream, no matter how ridiculous it sounds, is still something. I've met people who've had dreams. Some gave up on their paths. Some managed to succeed. Some are still pursuing those paths. Did you know what one of my friends wants to do?" Issei shakes his head.

"You've heard of the Sayuri, right?" Issei nods his head at the question. It was dubbed as one of Madarame's plagiarism scams, with the real one's whereabouts unknown. That was how he came to know that art piece after it was broadcasted all over the news that Madarame had been a scammer and plagiariser. Despite not having a taste for the arts, he had to admit, it was an amazing masterpiece. "Suffice to say... My friend wants to give people hope when they see his paintings."

"Oh." It is as ridiculous as it sounds. Giving people hope through paintings? "I see."

"As long as you think it's possible, you can do it. That's why I won't laugh at your dream, nor call it ridiculous. But I admit. The way I see it now, I still do not think that you can defeat Riser Phenex. Yes, your chances may be higher than before, yes, but not high enough. I've seen your resolve, however. The only question now is, how far are you willing to go for that dream? Are you willing to stake your life on it?"

"I..." To be asked something so extreme is quite unsettling. He hasn't really considered stuff about fighting for his dream for a while now, having been more focused on Devil stuff and such until Akira asked him about it ten days ago. That dream... is it really worth fighting for to such an extent?

"You don't have to answer now, nor to me. It's your dream, not mine." He feels kind of indebted to Akira now, in all honesty. It's as if he's finally come to a realization of sorts. While it isn't all the way, it feels as if some chains in his heart have been unshackled, freeing him from something. It felt good, having someone who truly acknowledged his dream, even if it is a ridiculous one.

"Thank you, Akira-senpai. For training me. For not laughing at my dream." They stop near the entrance of the rundown building that the ORC occupies.

"A gift." He hands him something. A pistol. "I don't recommend telling anyone about this. But it's up to you to use it, yeah?"

"Thank you." It's different from the one that he saw in Akira's bag. It's a bulky pistol, that's for sure. He knows how to use a gun, that's for sure. Having been to the arcade several times, surely it can't be different from using a real gun, right? He holds it for a few moments, before hiding it within his blazer.

"No worries. One more thing. I'll say this. Don't fight to win. Fight to not lose. The Crimson Satan is probably going to be watching too." Fight to not lose? An odd piece of advice, but he'll take it. "Now go. Your friends are waiting for you." It's an hour to midnight now. Time to go. [Let's go, Partner.]

 _ORC Clubroom_

"Ise-kun!"

"Issei-san."

"Pervert." These are the three types of greetings that he receives upon opening the door. The fourth type of greeting comes in the form of Kiba simply nodding his head from the side, giving him a smile that he dubs, the bishounen smile.

"Hello, guys. It's been a while, I guess?"

"You had no idea how worried we were when we heard that Akira-kun catered you off to god knows where!" He fervently hopes that they don't ask him to recount his training, because those are some memories that he wants to stay buried for a while, given how hellishly tired he felt by the end of each day. "How was it?"

"It was pretty tiring, but I made it through at least." And that's understating it. "So what happens now?"

"We begin soon. Just sit down for a bit." He nods his head, moving to sit next to Koneko, who moves aside reluctantly for him. He can understand why.

Grayfia soon teleports in. "We'll begin soon. Prepare for teleportation." Well, it's now or never, huh?

 _Earlier_

Akira's POV

"You can come out now." The maid walks out of hiding from the side of the building. How she'd get there, he didn't know but he was willing to bet that it was through teleportation or something similar. Since she couldn't find him, her next best option would have been to wait for them to show up.

"Impressive. Not many can detect me."

"What do you want?" He gets straight to the point.

"I was asked to monitor the growth of Rias' pieces." Ah. So it's because she couldn't find the pawn at wherever the rest of the Gremory peerage was training at that she waited for the two of them to come back. She probably even overheard their own talk. Also, he dislikes how she refers to them as "pieces."

"And what do you think of Issei?"

"He's different from the one I saw ten days ago. I have no idea what you did, but he seems more firm."

"It's a matter of the mind and heart. Much like how the ghosts of past still haunt her peerage members." Grayfia's face stiffens up slightly at that.

"So you know?"

"I merely know that something from their past is troubling them. That is all. Otherwise, there would be no reason for Kiba and Akeno to use a facade like that. Koneko simply keeps it bottled up with her silence. As for Issei... it's affected him, but he does not know it yet. I know it when people are hiding under a mask." It's not that difficult, especially when his Persona powers were based on ripping off a mask. A mask reflected the personality of a person, yet it might not be the true face of that person.

"I see." Now that she's here, might as well confirm something.

"Did you know that there were fallen angels here in Kuoh?" He begins.

Her eyes narrow. "Fallen angels? If they were truly here in Kuoh, they'll be in danger of breaking the treaty." Bingo.

"I see. So even you are uninformed, then?"

"Speak. Now." He doesn't care for the fact that Grayfia Lucifuge is clearly serious and her frigid aura is spreading. The cold doesn't really affect him that much. She won't, no she can't risk hurting him because of what he showed during their encounter last time. But it's confirmed. Only Rias and her peerage and perhaps a few other close confidants of hers know of the presence of fallen angels in this small little town a few weeks ago. This basically confirms pretty much all his hypotheses.

"A couple of weeks ago. They killed Issei, tried to extract a Sacred Gear from a certain former nun. Nearly killed me as well, if I didn't reawaken my power. The same power you came to investigate on that day. I sent them packing afterward." He states. Akira can never forget that experience, where he regained his mask of rebellion once more and came so close to dying for god knows how many times.

"Are you sure?"

There's a piece of evidence for sure, even though it might be circumstantial in nature. But if they were asked, they wouldn't hesitate to tell the truth, that's for sure. In fact, their testimonies would be nothing short of damming. "How do you think Gremory gained two new peerage members in such a short time? Surely it can't be a coincidence, can it?" Grayfia stays silent.

"I've spoken my piece. Believe it or not, you can choose for yourself."

"Very well." Finally, the chat with her is almost over.

"One more thing. You do accept contracts, as a Devil, correct?" This is something that actually works towards his advantage if she agrees. Few people have as much information on their fingertips as a Queen of one of the four leaders of Hell.

"What would you want?"

"Information about newer or the more obscure factions." If someone like Tiamat didn't have too much of an idea on what the Hero Faction was, it would mean that either it had hidden very well over the ages, or it was a newer faction. Given how young those three looked, it's safer to say that the latter is of a higher possibility.

"Very well, I will find you on another day to finalize our contract." He turns around, walking away from the building. His business is concluded for the night.

"Where are you going?"

"What do you think? I'm heading back."

"Are you not going to watch the Rating Game?"

"I'll rather not watch." Akira walks away. Watching the Rating Game wouldn't do any good. Only Issei himself could change the course of fate if he wanted to win. Rather than relying on others as a reason to win, it's better if it's for himself. Will it work? He's no psychologist. Time to leave it to the whims of fate. He begins to hum a song.

' _Champagne Flutes and_

 _Dealer suits that..._ '

Issei's POV

Is it just him, or is the maid colder than usual? Yeah, sure he's only met her twice, only talking to her on one occasion, but it feels as if she's colder than usual, for some reason, even if it isn't actually directed at him. "Satan Lucifer will be watching this fight."

"My brother? I see..." Wait, so the Crimson Satan Akira mentioned must have been Satan Lucifer, right? But then why is he Rias' brother?

"Wait, he's your brother? I thought you were a Gremory."

"Sirzechs Lucifer, formerly known as Sirzechs Gremory, took up the mantle of Lucifer after the original Lucifer died during the Great War." The maid cooly explains, something that he can appreciate. Now it all comes together. So that's why despite having an older sibling, she's the Heiress to the Gremory Family.

Now that he has some time to think back to Akira-senpai's words, he realizes something. Akira had kept saying "you" instead of "you and your comrades" or something along those lines. It's as if Akira is saying that only he's actually capable of defeating Riser or even going up against him. [They're relying on you, or to be more specific, the Boosted Gear to make up for the lack of firepower.] So the Boosted Gear is the equalizer? But isn't it kind of stupid to rely solely on him just for this? Akira did mention that he didn't have too high of a chance to win, so betting on him alone is too much of a risk.

But Akira did also mention that he shouldn't fight to win but fight to not lose. [Think back to the ten days. What did he do?] It was a lot of beatings, dodging, and trying to just survive for the most part. He was also forced to pick up some basic hand to hand movements, to help him in fighting, since all he had was his gauntlet. His Boosted Gear did undergo a change too. Well, he did also just receive a gun from Akira, but it probably only contains a single magazine at best. He can't really rely too much on his Boost for the fights, because he would be tired out if he hit his maximum limit before reaching Riser.

"It's about time." He feels a wave of magic wash all over him, but the room still remains the same. Huh, did his bad magic capacity screw things up again?

"Everyone. I am Grayfia, Servant of the Gremory Family. Tonight, I will be acting as the appointed judge of the Rating Game between Rias Gremory and Riser Phenex. Having taken into account both their opinions, we have prepared a replica of Kuoh Academy, a school in the human world that Rias-sama attends to act as the battlefield for the Rating Game tonight."

A replica? "Take a look outside." Rias offers. Everyone chooses to do so, The sky is reminiscent of the Aurora Borealis if he isn't wrong. It is certainly an amazing sight. And also more proof of how powerful devils are, that's for sure.

"We're in an alternate universe, huh?" The blonde prince notes.

"Rias-sama's base is the Occult Research Club Room in the old schoolhouse. Riser-sama's base is the principal's office in the new schoolhouse." So if he wants to get promoted, he has to enter the new schoolhouse? No, he shouldn't consider such a thing. Trying to promote would be foolish, especially when their chances of winning aren't high and they are lacking in numbers.

"Conditions for winning are: Surrender of either of the Kings. All pieces are eliminated. Elimination of the King. Both parties have been confirmed to have teleported to their main base. Henceforth, both parties will be given fifteen minutes for strategy planning, starting now."

"Alright, so first of all, take these. They're communicators and we can communicate on the battlefield." Everybody, including him, takes one. Next, Buchou lays out a map on the table.

"So, The enemy's main base is the new schoolhouse. It's the fastest via the schoolyard, but..."

"Too risky."

"Yes. We'll be in plain sight." Wait. Now he understands what Akira meant.

"Buchou. I want to say something."

"Speak your mind, Ise-kun."

"I don't mean anything, but I don't think we can win. That's what Akira-senpai told me. You guys are speaking as if we have an actual chance of winning when we have fewer numbers and lower firepower." It's true. When that Yakitori bastard came over to flaunt his peerage, he did have a full set of 15 pieces excluding himself. Not only that. "Even if you used me to make up for the difference in power, I can only be in one place at a time. Having some of us go in alone is not a good idea because of how many people they have. They probably have two or three people in a group, since they have a full set." It all comes together now.

"I... see."

"I am not a good strategist but I'll say that our best option is to only defend the areas closer to us and not contest for the areas that are in the middle. If we focused heavily on those areas, we could slowly chip away at their numbers." Basic strategy 101? It's not like Dynasty Warriors or Devil May Cry, where one person alone can take on armies and such. This is more of a situation where they have to focus on which areas to defend.

"I think what he says has merit, Buchou." Kiba is the first to speak up.

"Smart for a pervert." Koneko nods her head. They began to brainstorm, making use the best of their fifteen minutes.

And thus, the way the Rating Game would proceed, changed.

 _Principal's Office_

"I don't care what you do, I want you all to crush them. After all, the only reason why I agreed to this game is to shatter her pride, nothing more."

 _ORC Clubroom_

"I hereby declare that the Rating Game has now begun." Kiba, Koneko, and Akeno have left to do their thing. Time to do this. Ten days of training. One gun with one magazine. One gauntlet. Is it enough? [Boost!] His gauntlet echoes.

Rating game, Start!

 **A/N: So that's the chapter. Why's Akira like this? Because he's seen what kind of problem that Issei has. I've already mentioned part of his problem of what problem he has,** **Issei is going through this "phase" because he has deeply seeded trauma from being killed the first time.** **So Akira's trying to help in his way, so yeah. He doesn't want Issei to end up doing something just because it's for the sake of someone else because Issei is being influenced subtly to do this for someone else as said in the last chapter, but actually have him willingly choose to do it for the sake of someone else.**

 **This chapter is also much shorter than the rest because at first, I wanted to put in a bit of his training but I didn't really get anywhere with it. And when I added some stuff to the previous chapter, it led to this, which is basically a bit more of Issei and himself. I didn't want to write about the Rating Game because it would be too long, so that's the next chapter.**

 **Anyways, I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter and leave a review if you guys think that there's room for improvement or any requests that you want! Some requests will be considered. Feel free to PM me if you want. Absurd requests are obviously not allowed and dun flame. I am only an amateur at this shit.**

 **On that note, peace out people!**

 **322n**


	13. Why does the devil fight?

_Rating Game Dimension_

Issei's POV

Honestly, he hadn't been sure. His first gambit of the night, being talking about what Akira had said, worked out. Their strategy had changed accordingly. Make no doubt about it, it was still as risky as ever, but the strategy had been remolded to not focus on him Promoting and fighting against superior numbers with the paltry numbers they had. From the tabletop strategies that treated as if both sides from equal, they had changed to a strategy that was as if they were surrounded. Excluding the Kings, they had a measly four combatants compared to the potential fifteen enemies.

So now, they basically decided to deal with the pawns that were circling them from behind first, with him assisting Kiba while Koneko would buy some time for Akeno to destroy the gym from the cover of the trees, then they would back off for now. They would regroup and defend closer to the old school building because they knew that with Riser's ego, he wouldn't bother sending all his pieces towards them at once. Koneko being alone was a bit risky, so they were hoping that with Kiba's speed, he would be able to help Akeno once they clean up here. Basically, a quick blitz on a strategic location before retreating quickly.

The downside in opening his big mouth, however, came in the form of a missed opportunity to experience the comfort of the legendary lap pillow. Damm, he shouldn't have said that Akira had helped to unseal his Evil Pieces.

"Kiba!" I'm doing it now! Three pawns had snuck into the forest, falling into the trap.

[Transfer!] With the power that he garnered, which was around 4 Boosts worth, he transferred it to Kiba, a handy little function that came after his Sacred Gear evolved.

"Sword Birth!" Kiba cries out, impaling a sword into the ground and forming something that can only be described as a sword graveyard.

"Three Pawns from Riser Phenex's peerage have been retired." Bingo. That leaves 12 pieces. They had been hoping that a Rook or Knight would have opted to join them, but not everything can go their way. Still, three pawns. "Good job, Issei and Kiba. Kiba, regroup with Koneko as soon as possible. She's about to engage two Pawns and a Rook. Akeno is almost done with her assault on her gym." No, something's not right. Their Queen still has not been spotted. They can't afford to lose anyone right now. The enemy Queen probably wouldn't stay still, much like how Akeno is already preparing for her attack. Meaning, she's waiting for an opportunity to ambush them. Kiba puts his speed to the test, outpacing Issei within seconds as Issei jogged to the next objective.

Thank Akira for the last day's training. While it hadn't been physically tiring, the same couldn't be said mentally. He was forced to test how many times he could Boost, Transfer, which wasn't too tiring on its own. That kind of thing can be taken care of after a short rest. But the fact that Akira had drilled some basic strategies into him meant that he had been forced to listen to a boring lecture for hours without any sign of escape. He can appreciate it now though since his thought process is much clearer and calmer than before. But even with fancy strategies, evasion training, endurance training, and all the other hellish training that he'd gone through, it was implied that he still doesn't have that much of a chance, huh?

"Be careful, guys. The enemy Queen is missing." He warns them. This has to be the only option. [Boost!] Keeping the Boosted Gear on is something he decided to do after much deliberation.

"That's right. The enemy Queen is nicknamed the Bomb Queen. Be careful of any ambushes." Rias' voice plays, and he pales significantly at that. Bombs. It meant one thing. Explosions? He has had enough of that for the last week or so. The only good thing that he gained out of that is, he can actually tell when an explosion is about to happen after being struck by so many relentlessly. Also maybe some endurance.

[Boost!] Now, what to do? Wait a minute. The gun. Could he tamper with it? He pulls out the bulky pistol that he received.

[Hm. It is possible. The only question is, how much can the gun take? Try using the 2 Boosts that you gained right now. Just make sure to target the Transfer correctly.] Ddraig provides a response, thankfully.

[Transfer!] The gun didn't explode or anything, it still stays the same. "It worked!" [Boost!]

[Still, you should make sure no one else sees it. Keep it, for now, you're almost there.] He puts the gun back in his Blazer, as he arrives just an area outside the gymnasium. Just in time, to spot both Koneko and Kiba running out of the gymnasium. [Boost!]

Lightning strikes the gymnasium, completely obliterating the gymnasium. "Riser Phenex's two Pawns and Rook have been retired." Yes, they figured that it'll be better to destroy the gymnasium which linked two different buildings together. Because it was clearly an objective both parties wanted to secure but his side lacked the manpower to guard that area, it was better off destroying it and anyone inside via bait. Koneko had volunteered for the role, mainly because she didn't want to be near Issei, which was understandable. [Boost!]

Now, Koneko limped out, with Kiba carrying her. Wait, _limped_ out? Oh no. They're just sitting ducks right now, begging to be attacked. He begins to run towards Kiba. "KIBA! Pick Koneko up and run!" He roars, pointing his Sacred Gear towards them. Without any hesitation, he transfers. [Transfer!] Kiba pauses for a second, before picking Koneko up in a princess carry and running, the transfer reaching them. Kiba moves even faster than his normal knight speed, zooming away just as an explosion rocks the place that both Kiba and Koneko stood a few moments ago.

"That was a close call." But they didn't get unscathed. Kiba got struck by the shockwave of the explosion, causing him to fall. Thankfully, Koneko is still unharmed any further from that encounter, but the blonde bishounen is now sprouting a few cuts and bruises. Other than the superficial injuries, it still seems as if he's in good condition. "Kiba, get Koneko back and heal yourselves. I'll stay here with Akeno, the Queen's not very happy with missing that attack, that's for sure." [Boost!]

"Nice save. I didn't know you could Boost my speed." He didn't know either until he tried it on that gun. Ddraig did advise him to target the gun correctly, which meant he could theoretically Boost any part of the gun, which he did. So it should apply to people too. It was a gamble, that's for sure but at least it worked out.

"Tch. To think I missed it. Seems like I should have aimed for you first, brat." Sure enough, the Queen emerges out of hiding, clearly annoyed while Kiba retreats, still empowered by his Boost.

"Buy me a bit of time. She hasn't noticed me yet, I think." He hears Akeno's voice. That is true. Akeno is still in hiding, while he's the only one out in the open and she seems to be fully focused on him. If he can buy a bit of time, they might be able to get

"You wouldn't be able to down me even if you tried!" He taunts. Come on, Akeno... "I've been struck by more explosions than I could count over the last ten days, Bomb Queen!" [Boost!] He focuses this Boost on his legs. He's going to have to move quickly if his training of dodging has taught him anything. Boost was something he learned to utilize to the fullest extent possible. Boost works by storing energy within him. Through the training, he'd discovered several new nifty ways to make use of it. If it were to be put as gaming terms, rather than using it as a general stat boost for everything, he could use it to Boost a specific stat. In this case, however, he could use it to Boost parts of his body, therefore making the effects more concentrated and explosive. If he had Boosted generally, he wouldn't move as fast as him Boosting his legs alone.

[Boost] itself also has several problems on its own. If he stacked up too many, he would hit [Explosion] far too quickly, a state where he enjoys the power of the stored Boosts within himself fully, but he would be forced to [Reset] afterward, the state of backlash where he can't Boost and he'll be physically drained. Surprisingly, however, there is a way around this, thanks to [Transfer]. As long as he continuously uses [Transfer] before he hits those limits, he could rebuild those Boosts without going into Explosion. But therein lies another problem. He can't control how much he can [Transfer] right now. While it's doable in the future according to Ddraig, right now all he's going to do when transferring is transferring everything he's stored up. If he Boosted beyond his limit, he would immediately lose all his Boosts through [Burst] and he would suffer from a backlash from pushing past his limits.

"Eat this, brat!" He leaps to the back, just in time to dodge a fiery explosion. Huh, still not on the level of Akira-senpai's. He can actually tell when it's coming due to his enhanced senses and volatile nature. Roll to the side. Jump to the left. Dive to the right. Move forward. He moves on instinct, managing to avoid the explosions that try to corner him. "Let's see you dodge this!" Her words are one hell of an indicator itself He stops moving, opting to duck. Some might call it a cowardly move, but it's the best and fastest way he could think of that's not diving headfirst into an explosion.

"HOW?"

"That's easy. I figured you were trying to read my movements and the moment you thought you had me, you would strike from all sides." He bullshits. But she didn't consider the fact that he was familiar as to when he was about to be struck without any way of escape. Akira had used this same method before when it came to striking from all sides. Plus, she had given her attack away when she spoke. Thankfully, she didn't try to attack at the same exact spot where he stood, instead choosing to anticipate his next move and surrounding him with an attack from all sides. Sure, it would still harm him, but by ducking and curling up, he had managed to minimize the damage taken successfully. Yeah, it's another thing that Akira taught him. If he can't dodge, then the next best move would be to try and defend against it as much as possible. [Boost!]

Also, trash talking is one of those skills that he's picked up over the years as a gamer too.

"DAMM YOU!"

"You know, I thought you would have mopped things up by now, against a measly Pawn of all people." That familiar voice. Come on, Akeno...

"You're the yakitori's sister!" There's no way he wouldn't recognize her. She's flanked by several people, probably mostly Pawns.

"Bingo, Red Dragon Emperor. And I think you've stayed into in the field for far too long, _pawn_. Time for you to retire. Get him, girls."

"Isabela, Rook." She introduces herself, before charging at him. Damm it, a Rook? He probably won't have enough power to contest again him, so he'll need to be careful. [Boost!] Ah shit. They hadn't been counting on Ravel Phenex of all people showing up with more people, now he was in danger of being overwhelmed as he has to deal with both the attacks of the Queen and the Rook.

"Hyoudou Issei, Pawn." He returns the greeting. His hand to hand is probably still subpar compared to her, so the only thing he can really do is to dodge, but that's not exactly a great option against a piece that's known for their strength and endurance. But still, he dodges her first strike. Thankfully, her speed isn't the best, so he can still dodge. At least he wasn't up against Akira, who would mercilessly pummel him without a second thought. The sheer speed that his senior had displayed against him was nothing short of astonishing, to say the least. His strength was just as terrifying. Compared to that, this Rook is nothing much. Still, he's being forced on the defensive thanks to the attacks of both the Queen and the Rook. His only saving grace right now is that he can evade easily thanks to the several Boosts that he has on hand right now.

The smell of ozone is the only hint he gets before lightning strikes down once again.

[Boost!] BOOM! It strikes the Queen squarely. Isabela is forced to pause for a moment as they all gaze at the sorry state of the Queen, a stark contrast from her high and mighty appearance from earlier.

Damm it! Despite that, it still didn't work? The Queen's robes are smoking, as she lies on the ground. She's indeed in a sorry sight, with several scars on her pale skin and her charred hair. In any other case, he would have stared at her beautiful form. Her private parts were in danger of being revealed, with her robes somehow still managing to cover those parts despite the damaged state it is in. But now's not the time to admire.

"Damm you all, for making me use this." She pulls out a vial of something. The Rook is smirking, clearly not intent on fighting him. [Use your gun on her! Quickly! While the Rook's distracted!] Trusting Ddraig, he yanks the gun out of his blazer without hesitation. Unfortunately for them, the Rook can't react fast enough to stop him. Squinting, he aims for a single moment through the iron sight before firing, praying for the best.

A gunshot echoes out, with an announcement. "Riser Phenex's Queen is retired." All is silent in the area. He has no idea what she was about to drink or consume, but that couldn't have been anything good. Thanks to Ddraig's advice, it had pulled him through in that clutch moment. [No problem, partner.]

[Boost!] His gauntlet echoes out once more while he swiftly keeps the pistol, while mentally thanking Akira-senpai for the gift. If it wasn't for the gun, they wouldn't have made it this far. The gun is now useless, mostly because he won't be able to get another shot in with Isabela approaching him again. It's a weapon not meant for extremely close range situations unless in very specific ones. And his combat style is sure and hell not suited for one.

Anyway, how many Boosts is that now? Three? Four? "To think you would have gotten this far. Even managing to eliminate Yubelluna." Ravel's voice echoes out. He does some quick math. The opposing side is left with two Bishops, two Knights, One Rook, three Pawns, and the King. Slightly over half left. He can see why Akira said the chances of winning this game aren't high. "You're quite the opportunist, aren't you?" He can hear someone beginning to engage Akeno, but he focuses on the fighter in front of him.

"I have no idea what you did there, but good job eliminating the Queen, Ise-chan." Buchou comments.

As if having a cue, Isabela renews her assault on him but with the fourth Boost, he blocks her attack. He can feel his arms slightly quivering under those powerful blows as he holds them up in an X guard, but the Rook's fists are sure as hell ain't getting through. "You're quite sturdy for a Pawn. Normally a Pawn wouldn't be able to block those blows without getting injured." Yeah, she's strong alright.

"I'm coming, Issei!" Sparing all formalities, the blonde prince bursts into the clearing, slashing at the Rook that's assaulting him. Isabela's forced to tank the hit as she's unable to guard against Kiba's sneak attack, which had been aided by his swiftness. She's forced to retreat, while Kiba joins him by his side. Now three of four are here. [Boost!]

"Took you long enough!"

"I'll provide some long-range support, they don't seem to have their other Bishop with them right now." Akeno speaks. The time for hiding is over. She emerges from her cover within the trees.

"Birth?" He asks. It's code for the Sword Graveyard attack thing that Kiba did in the ambush against the Pawns when the game started. [Boost!] Now that's the fifth Boost, a solid amount. They are engaged by a Knight and the Rook from before.

"Birth," Kiba affirms. He performs a counter of his own, forcing the Rook to dodge and buying him a bit of time. Before the Rook can understand what is happening, he points the gauntlet at Kiba without hesitation. [Transfer!] He reengages with the Rook, forcing her to keep her eyes on him.

"Sword Birth!" A graveyard of swords sprouts out from the ground, surrounding the enemy Knight and rapidly approaching Isabela. He continues to hold his ground against her, while performing a few punches of his own. While he doesn't have the Boosts anymore, but with Kiba's attack, Isabela is forced to be on the defense and all Issei is really doing is trying to lower her guard so that Kiba's attacks can successfully hit the Rook. From the corner of his eyes, he can spot Akeno attempting to strike the Pawns guarding Ravel with her lightning bolts, while Kiba is still creating more sword graveyard things. Damm, is the effect of five Boosts making Kiba seem like he's on steroids? [Boost!] He focuses this one on his fists to give them a bit more power. Kiba's attacks finally stop. But what happens next is something no one can predict.

"Enough." He knows that arrogant tone. In front of them none other than Riser motherfucking Phenex in the flesh in all his glory, his flame wings beating as he hovers in front of them all while the rest of his peerage, including the Rook who was engaging him, retreats to space behind their King. "I will deal with that Pawn myself. He will pay for eliminating my Queen. Then I will punish her for falling to such a pathetic Pawn." This was not what he'd expected. At this moment, he knows. Shit's gone full FUBAR.

"Well, shit." Riser approaches him, clearly intent on scorching him with the flames on his hand as he touches down, the flame wings disappearing. Ok, he has to admit, the flame wings looked kinda cool. And that entrance was pretty solid as well. Too bad it belongs to the arrogant douchebag that is Riser Phenex. [Boost!]

"You might be stronger than ten days ago, but it will make no difference. Feel the flames of a Phenex!" Oh boy. He can't dodge the wide swath of flames that threatens to engulf him.

* * *

 _We interrupt this Rating Game to bring you a quick interlude._

 _Shrine_

Akira's POV

He is seated outside, looking up at the night sky. His phone rings. "Hello, Sae-san." Right. It's been a while since he's asked Sae to do the favour for him, as well as Futaba. "It's been a while. I hope you have the answers ready for me."

"Very well. What do you exactly wish to know?" It's better to let Sae ask what she wants to ask, rather than him talking because this way, he wouldn't talk himself into a corner. Sae is one of the most sharp-minded people that he's met and any mistake he makes, she would capitalize on it.

"Why did you request for such a thing?"

"You remember what happened before Christmas Eve, right?"

"As if I could ever forget that hellish landscape."

"After that, I turned myself in to testify against Shido. But the case records that involve the Phantom Thieves hold mentions of stealing hearts, something that certain parties are quite interested in and have no doubt gained access to in some way. I've met with one such party and of course, I refused their offer." He gives a very simplified rundown.

"What are the parties involved? How did they manage to breach the security before you asked Futaba to put in those measures?" Of course, Sae's relentless nature comes to light once again. The moment she hears that there are parties interested in such a thing and the fact that they managed to breach the cybersecurity of such a "heavily fortified" place like the SDU, she can't help but ask.

Akira sighs. There can only be one way this is going."Are you sure you want the answer?"

"What do you mean?"

"The moment I give you the answer, there's no going back. You can opt to stay ignorant, or choose to listen to my answer. But there's no going back once I give you the answer." With the somber warning he gives, Sae pauses for a few moments to think.

"...You make this sound as if it's more serious than the Metaverse that you spoke of in your interrogation."

"It is equally serious. Perhaps even more so." It is true.

"Very well then. Tell me." There had been no other path this would have gone. He knew Makoto's sister well enough that she would pursue something once she found out about it. Much like how she went to great lengths to interrogate him, apparently.

"I must say this first. You can never speak a word of this to anyone else. Not even Makoto for now. For now, only Ryuji knows."

"It's that bad, huh?"

"It is. To sum it up, every mythological creature that you can think of, they exist or they have existed in some time, some way or some manner. Devils exist and there are some that live amongst humans, blending in. The Church is an institution that is connected to Heaven, where Angels dwell. Fallen angels also exist, though I know not where they are. Gods exist as well. Every pantheon to exist, like the Shinto or the Greeks, exist as well." It's only a few sentences worth. Yet, these sentences are enough to shatter the worldview that any normal, unsuspecting human has. Even for someone like Sae who's heard of the metaverse, it's enough.

"... You aren't kidding, are you?"

"Yes. Welcome to the hidden side of the world, I guess. There's a high chance that they hypnotized someone with a high enough authority to view the case files or they simply hacked it with magic. With Futaba reinforcing it, however, it's near impossible for them unless their magic is capable of cracking such complex defenses or they have a technological expert of equal standing."

"What about the parties involved?"

"Many. But the one that approached me first, they called themselves the _Hero Faction_." He spits out those two words as if they're venom in his mouth.

"I'll go, for now, I need time to take all this in. Just when I thought you've already shattered my worldview once, you go ahead and do it again..." Well, she was the one who had decided to interrogate him in the first place and wanted answers now.

"Goodnight, Sae. Please don't tell Makoto about this." He hangs up the call, relieved that Sae isn't going to grill him any further. Even though the phone call was short, it sure had him tense.

He lies down on the wooden floor, relaxing. Sacred Gears can evolve based on how much emotion the user is feeling. The question is, how much is Issei willing to push himself?

* * *

 _And now, back to the Rating Game._

Issei's POV

He tries to not make a sound, as the flames swarm over him. Hell, he didn't even get a chance to try and defend himself. That's how fast the flames are. Still, it helps that his heat tolerance is higher than before, as he tanks on the full blast of those flames, somehow managing to bring his arm up to block the flames despite the onslaught. [Boost!] Man, the flames are sure hot, but still, he can still withstand them somehow.

"Hm, so you got through that." His forearm that doesn't have the gauntlet, which he used to guard his torso and head, is blistering right now and honestly, it hurt like shit. While he did go through many beatings in his life, it didn't mean that his sense of pain had lessened over the years. His uniform is charred pretty badly, his pants are barely still clinging onto his legs. His blazer's not as bad, apart from the sleeves. So this is what Akira meant. If their King alone was this powerful, what would happen if the rest ganged upon him? They would stand no chance, that's what would happen. Even if Koneko came back now, it wouldn't make any difference. The "him" from ten days ago would have lost to this one attack.

They would get mercilessly butchered, even if they haven't lost a single member of their peerage right now. "I hate to admit it, Buchou, but the odds aren't looking good." He whispers into the communicator. Buchou is silent, unable to offer an answer to their current dilemma. To make things worse, the Pawns are now missing.

 _How far are you willing to go for your dream?_

Why is he remembering those words? Riser now stands in front of him, ready to end and crush that dream of his. He knows the consequences of losing. Buchou would get married to the douchebag before him. They would all effectively be under the command of Riser Phenex. He would lose his freedom. Worst of all? Riser would no doubt prevent him from fulfilling his dream. He'd said it himself. Riser is the first step to that dream of his. But if he's not strong enough to even overcome this situation, then what can he count for? But how far is he willing to go? [Boost!]

 _Are you willing to stake your life on it?_

Is he? Is he ready to bet his life on it? Is the dream really worth staking his life on? A dream of having a harem? But if he doesn't have a life, how can he enjoy having a harem? Yet, some things did not come without risk, much like how he has to risk it every time he peeks on the Kendo girls.

 _A dream, no matter how ridiculous it sounds, is still something._

A dream is still something, huh? That's right. Even if it was ridiculous, even if others mocked it, it was still _his_ dream, and not other people's. Even if other people found it ridiculous, it's his dream. To him, it's something he's dreamt of ever since that fateful encounter with the old man. Now? It still hasn't changed, but the dream is in danger of being extinguished right now, a result that he doesn't want to see. He hasn't even started on it yet! So what if others mock him for it? "What's wrong, pawn? Finally realizing how hopeless your situation is?" [Boost!]

 _As long as you think it's possible, you can do it._

He'll make it come true, somehow. One way or another. 'Hey, Ddraig. You think you got an option for me?' When in doubt, his partner has always provided an answer. Hopefully, this time's not an exception either. 'I know this sounds ridiculous, but I don't want my dream of getting a harem just to end like this right now. I want to fight for it, more than anything, you know? All this time, I thought I was fighting for Rias... Sure, I'm grateful to Rias for giving me a second life, but I think I want to fight for my dream as well too, you know?' Is it really wrong to want to fight for himself too? He doesn't think so. His passion is beginning to surge now. From a spark, it slowly builds up as the flames are stoked.

"You can surrender, you know?" Riser offers mockingly. Kiba and Akeno are still clashing, but he remains rooted to that one spot. Riser is clearly taunting him with that smug, arrogant expression of his. No. He doesn't want it to end just like this. If he betrayed himself like this, he wouldn't be able to face anyone ever again, let alone himself. The worst betrayal for anyone is a betrayal to themself, after all.

[I see. Are you willing to give up your body?]

Is that even a question? He's already resolved himself to do it now, so why should he hesitate any further? 'So be it.'

[Your resolve has been heard. Then I will take your right arm. In exchange, you will have access to Scale Mail for a short time.]

'Take it.'

 _Don't fight to win. Fight to not lose._

He understands what he has to do now. He doesn't want to lose this dream of his. His dream shouldn't end like this. His dream _can't_ end like this. He won't allow it. That's why he'll fight to not lose. "Lend me your power, Ddraig." The spark of passion within him fully evolves into a roaring inferno, as he lets _power_ envelop him. Armor begins to form all over him and soon, he is clad in nothing but a crimson red armor, adorned by several emerald jewels.

{Play: Burning My Soul by J-Crown & Taku}

[Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker!]

[I don't fucking believe it. You managed to unlock Balance Breaker within a few months of unlocking the Boosted Gear and sacrificing just an arm, even if it's just temporarily. At best you should have gotten an incomplete Scale Mail. You have no idea how many of my previous wielders would die for such a deal. You've got a few minutes in this form. Go wild, partner.] A few minutes? He can sure as hell make a difference with this. "Don't get cocky now, just because you got a new ar-"

"I have to thank you for being cocky, Riser." If Riser wasn't so cocky and purposefully dragged out the fight to try and make him despair with his taunts, he wouldn't have awakened to his new resolve and gain something that would allow him to have a chance to not lose this. All he needed to do was to eliminate the enemy King, right? "Let's see how smug you are after this."

[Boost!Boost!Boost!Boost!Boost!] He can feel so much more power surging within him as Riser is shut up by the loud announcement of his Boosted Gear and his words. "My turn!" He leaps forth with an explosive burst of power, punching Riser's smug face in. Man, he's always wanted to do it the first time he saw that smug face and now? He's got the power to sock that face thanks to the five instantaneous Boosts. It seems that he doesn't have that much of a time limit when it comes to Boosting now.

"NANNNNIIII?!" Riser is punched back several meters, flying past even his sister before he finally lays on the ground. He moves again. [Boost!Boost!Boost!Boost!Boost!] None of the other pieces, not even the Knight can keep up as he moves to pick up Riser by his shirt, beating the shit out of his once smug face before slamming him down onto the ground.

 _Make sure they stay down._

He'd learned another thing from Akira's relentless beatings. Beat the enemy when they're down. Don't give them a chance to recover, or he might regret it. It's a hard lesson to forget, that's for sure as Akira had literally beaten that lesson into him. He stomps Riser first, before pulling him up and punching him again and again. Stay down!

 _Use whatever you have on hand._

Akira's lessons are coming in handy now. Every lesson he'd been taught, it was through nothing but the hardest or harshest method possible. It'd only helped to reinforce his knowledge even further. "Get away from Riser-sama!" Right now, he has one Riser Phenex on hand. Not the most conventional weapon, but hey, it works. He swings Riser towards the approaching Knight, sending her flying with both his enhanced strength and newfound "weapon". Kiba and Akeno still are fighting now, buying Issei more time to lay more punches into Riser. He is surprised. He's surprised by his own savageness in all this. And his lack of care.

"Surrender, Riser!" He's already beginning to regenerate the wounds that he's been inflicted with, but that won't stop Issei anytime soon.

"Never!" Riser's left hand, coated in flames, comes up, ready to grip his arm in an attempt to get away from the Pawn that is holding him by his shirt. [Boost!Boost!Boost!Boost!Boost!]

It hits him. He doesn't feel anything, other than a sensation that's trying to grip him on his arm, even if it's weak. He slams Riser down onto the ground once again, sitting upon him before punching him again and again, as he draws more blood.

 _yesthat'srightpunchhimkillhimdominatehimmakesurehesuffersshowhim_

"SURRENDER!" He roars this time, his fists not hesitating in the slightest as he punches continously, his fists feeling the impact of striking the body of Riser each time he punches. He doesn't aim, he just punches.

"Get away from my brother!" A blast of fire strikes him from behind before he dodges the blade that is aiming for his neck, forcing him to separate from Riser. The sister and the Knight are being annoyances, that's for sure. [Boost!] If the Knight wants to contest speed, how would his Boosts stack up? It wouldn't do if the two of them keep interrupting the time between him and Riser.

[Explosion!] Power! That's right. Power. Give me more power! He punches the blade with his hand that turned dragonic, sending the Knight flying back as her weapon shatters into pieces and his fist goes all the way, striking her. She disappears midair, having been forcefully retired by the system.

"Y-you're a monster!"

"No, I don't want my dream to end here just like this." He corrects the Bishop. "Now, surrender or face the same fate as the Knight."

"DON'T YOU TOUCH MY SISTER!" He faces the King himself. Riser attempts to hit him with another flaming fist, a fist that he tanks. Surprisingly, it forces him back a single step. He underestimated Riser, just a bit. But now that [Explosion] has triggered, it's time to beat him up as much as possible before it wears off.

"ORA!" Quoting one of his favourite anime, he punches Riser with the highest amount of strength he can possibly muster.

 _crushdominateoppressmakesurehecanneverholdhisheaduphighagain_

The urge to dominate is even more than before. "SURRENDER!" His roar is even louder this time. He closes the gap between Riser and himself, who has been blown away again, before performing a rush of blows. He can hear his own grunts as he beats up the man.

"AHHHH! DAMM YOU, DRAGON!" Riser screams in pain, as he continously regenerates while getting beaten up. Riser can't even fight back or perform a counter at all, with how fast he's punching him in. He can feel more flames behind him and hear some screaming from the girl, but he ignores it. All in favour of bashing this guy in front of him until he yields.

Slowly but surely, his punches are tearing away at his body, revealing a bit more of his insides as his ribs fracture, heal, snap, break, regenerate all over again. His face is disfigured, jaw dislocated, slowly snapping back into place but it is put out of place once again with his gauntleted fists. Crimson red fluid continues to flow as it replenishes itself, seemingly with no end in sight. The amount of pain that he is suffering is surely no small amount. Come on, how much more would it take? Even though the change is minuscule, he can see that Riser's wounds are closing slower than before.

"S **U** RRE **NDE** R, RIS **ER P** HEN **E** X!" He felt as if his throat would go sore from that howl, his fists continously digging into his face and chest, ignoring the pain of the flames from behind him. It feels so satisfying and gratifying to just continue punching without any restrain. This man, in front of him, needs to be defeated. He needs to show what true domination means.

"I-I SURRENDER!" Despite that, his fists continue, showing no sign of stopping. Blood continues to splatter all over his helm. His fists are literally dripping blood with every motion he makes.

"Riser Phenex surrenders. Rias Gremory wins the game." Grayfia's booming voice echoes, his fist freezes midair as he realizes something. [Reset!] Oh. The opponent's already surrendered, huh? His Scale Mail disappears a moment later, and he collapses to the ground. Drained. He's so tired. So, so tired. Maybe a nap wouldn't hurt, right? He deserves it, after all.

 **A/N:**

 **Fighting scenes aren't my thing, I have no idea how some authors can write and drag out fighting scenes for so long or how they can write it so well. But here's the Rating Game chapter, not going to lie I wasn't expecting on finishing it so quickly because I also have online classes rn but turns out when you stay awake until 4am, shit happens.**

 **Why did I decide to write in this direction? Mostly because I want to explore this direction more than anything. Also partially because this was written at 1am in the morning and finished at 4. Also h** **ad to struggle to not change this chapter any further.**

 **How can Issei unlock his balance breaker? Sacred Gears evolve based on emotions. Akira's already laid the foundation. All Issei needed to do was to build on it, find his own passion. Add on sacrificing his arm, it produces this result. You'll notice that I said the Balance Breaker would last for a few minutes, and not the standard thirty minutes. And of course, the price for his Balance Breaker is something that'll be discussed next time which is not just his arm.**

 **And how did Issei win? Mostly because he powered through Riser so hard that the pain got to him more than anything. Riser's supposedly immortal with his regeneration, but it doesn't make his senses dull in the least, that's why. It's actually one of the more viable strategies, actually. His Boosts + Explosion brought him to the power of a High-Class Devil, as in one that actually bleeds and climbs up to that position rather than being given it from birth.**

 **Anyways, I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter and leave a review if you guys think that there's room for improvement or any requests that you want! Some requests will be considered. Feel free to PM me if you want. Absurd requests are obviously not allowed and dun flame. I am only an amateur at this shit.**

 **On that note, peace out people!**

 **322n**


	14. Dilemma

_Location and Time_

POV

 **Persona Skills/Speech**

[Dragon Speech]

'Mental Speech'

* * *

 _ORC_

See, the thing is, he didn't originally plan to come here. But after talking to Issei last night, he'd came to a realization. He had forgotten one aspect of Issei's reincarnation into a devil. He considered the stage before, during but he never thought of what happened after his reincarnation. He'd simply assumed, but he forgot a single detail. And that's why he's now standing outside of the ORC

Time to get something from Rias. Answers, he has. It merely lacks only one thing that only Rias Gremory herself can give. Verification.

"Hello. Am I intruding?" He opens the door to the clubroom, where it seems to be business as usual. Kiba and Koneko are sitting on one of the couches, with Rias sitting behind that oak desk with Akeno standing by her side.

"No, you aren't. Take a seat."

"Here, Akeno. As promised." He sets down one of the bento boxes of curry and rice before her.

"Thank you, Akira-kun."

"No problem." There is a lull in their conversation before he decides to ask another question.

"How's Issei?" Considering how the pervert hasn't been seen in school in the whole day, he thought it would be prudent to ask this question first.

"Terrible. His back suffered second-degree burns and some parts of his back have third-degree burns because he tanked the full onslaught of a Phenex's flames for a minute or so. His wrist and arms have more second-degree burns but that's about it. I didn't think his pain tolerance was so high."

"I may or may not have beaten him so badly until he felt like he was dying all over again for several days straight." He admits. His training method was the perhaps the harshest method possible, but a sink or swim approach was his best option at that time.

"That's too extreme, don't you think? And how did Issei come back without any injuries?" Rias frowns at that admission. Clearly, she cares about her peerage. But still, to manipulate Issei's death without batting an eyelid? Unforgivable.

"Healing also happens to be one of the things I can pull off." He shrugs, carefully concealing his emotions for now. Just wait a little bit more. "That was the only way of training I could really pull off. We only had _ten_ days, may I remind you. And in the end, it wasn't really my training that pulled him through."

"Then what?"

"Ask him yourself." He ends the conversation there, opting to open up his bento and dig into it. He's hungry and he's sure as hell eating or all this food's gonna go to waste. Not only that, but it would also be pretty rude to speak about Issei's dream and mental state without his consent. The rich aroma of the curry immediately assaults the noses of everyone. He cannot help but warily eye Koneko, who's staring at his bento like it's free real estate. Now that he thinks about it, maybe he should have cooked more to ward her off? Maybe he'll eat it later.

"Alright, nevermind then, I'll eat it later." He mutters to himself, not missing the slight frown from Koneko. That's not his main objective here for today anyway. He puts his bento back securely. "Rias-san, may I speak with you?" Her peerage looks at him curiously. "Alone, if possible. I want to ask a few questions that might be sensitive in nature." He explains.

"Go out for a bit." Rias easily agrees to his request. Akira quickly fiddles with his phone for a bit, pretending to close some apps before putting it down on the space beside him as he locks it.

As soon as the door closes, he sighs. He can only pray that Kiba, Asia, Koneko and Akeno aren't eavesdropping on them right now. "So what do you want to ask?" Please, for the love of God, don't listen in. Rias winces slightly. Right, devils are sensitive to the G word.

"So, is it true?" He lets his true emotions slowly show, his face forming a frown first.

"Is what true?"

He decides to get straight to the point. He wants verification of his suspicions and he's going to get it today. "That you set up Issei to die in the first place?" Rias pales quickly. She clearly did not expect him to ask this question. He's on the right track, after all.

"I have no idea what you mean." She quickly denies it. But the facade she has painstakingly built up is now starting to shatter, bit by bit. All he needs to do is to hasten the process and the truth would be revealed.

He decides to follow up with a simple but effective technique. Speak of his hypothesis and hopefully, the target who happens to be Rias Gremory herself, slips up and confirms it. "You resurrected Issei, then baited him towards the church. If you did so, you would have been able to kill the fallen angels or at the very least scare them away, fully cementing his loyalty to you. Asia was simply a happy bonus." It'd finally clicked, after some careful deliberation of that one detail.

This was the last piece of the puzzle that he'd been missing in the first place. Why did Issei, Kiba and Koneko come to the church on that very night?

It took a while to figure it out, but he'd considered it from Rias' very own point of view, after including the fact that Issei was dying and had been resurrected by her. What would one do to fully cement their loyalty, especially in Issei's circumstances? This was the answer he came up with after several hours of pondering.

It sounds impossible and improbable, but once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.

By "avenging" him. By letting Issei vent on Raynare and her fellow compatriots through a fight, she would have been to come in at the last moment and help to engage and possibly kill those fallen angels. Issei isn't exactly the vengeful type, but even so, he's perfectly capable of holding a grudge. By settling this grudge for him, Issei would have probably placed Rias on a pedestal afterward in his mind and be eternally grateful, thereby dedicating everything to her, had he not been in that same church on that fateful night.

To conclude this whole thing, Rias had probably detected the fact that Issei had already a Sacred Gear. They had a year to do so, since Rias is a third-year now and Issei being a second year. She then ignored it when the fallen angels came in and also detected the fact that the pervert had a Sacred Gear, then the fallen angel made a move, unknown that she had been within the sight of Rias Gremory all along. The only reason why she didn't do anything was that she would be able to swoop in at the last moment to revive Issei after he got killed. Afterwards, Issei would have thought of Rias as his saviour.

The only thing was, it had to be reinforced, somehow. Yes, sure, saving someone from the cold clutches of death helps, but some might not fully trust their saviour. That's why they came to the church. To kill two birds with one stone. Kill the fallen angels who trespassed into her territory while completely securing Issei at the same time. Asia, as he said, was simply a happy bonus because she held the Sacred Gear that is Twilight Healing, from what he heard, otherwise she wouldn't have put her in his peerage. Heals are important even if the kind-hearted nun can't do anything else, after all.

Admittedly, a lot of this conclusion is based on circumstantial evidence. Even if Issei and Asia both testify, it might not be enough. However, his gambit seems to have worked, as Rias's expression is nothing short of horror, as if she met a monster. Well, said monster is currently tearing down the lie that she had carefully constructed over the better part of a few months with just several sentences.

She just needs a little more push. It's clear that he's on the right track now and he's unwilling to stop at this point. He wants confirmation and he's going to get it now. Consequences be dammed. "I thought you were better than this, Rias Gremory. When I first met you, I had no idea what to expect, but you were pretty humble, had good traits and all that. The revelation of you being a devil didn't do anything to change that. I knew that you were concerned with the well-being of your peerage. You were kind. You even offered an olive branch and explained to me about the Supernatural. But the moment I heard that Issei was on the verge of death when he resurrected you, it clicked. It was too much of a coincidence that you were nearby when he was on a date. Or perhaps, you gave him a way for you to reach him immediately."

"I..."

He cuts in. "I'm disappointed, Rias Gremory." His eyes betray nothing, as he stares into the blue eyes that threaten to spill tears.

"I was desperate, alright! I needed an edge to win against Riser!" She finally comes up with an excuse, but nothing changes the fact that it is still an admission of her guilt all the same. Bingo. It'd worked. To think that she'll fall for one of the oldest tricks in the book. Still, it's expected given how emotional she's become at this point.

She clearly wanted to make Issei her ace in the hole and have her wrapped around his finger. The worse part? In the game, if Issei hadn't come to a realization of sorts or something similar to the change of his mental state, then they wouldn't have won. In fact, the victory is nothing short of a fluke or miracle, that's for sure.

But the worst part of all? She would have succeeded in fully turning Issei into her loyal Pawn if not for his timely intervention or rather, being at the right place at the right time.

"You could have just straight up approached him and asked him to join you. He's a pervert at heart, mind you. He would have gladly agreed." He points out. That's literally negotiation 101. Appeal to the target's weakness. The result would still have been highly likely the same, but this alternative method that's not so long-winded would have been less bloody and the truth wouldn't cause that much heartbreak. "I want to know one more thing. Were your peerage members or anyone else involved or in the know of this plan?"

"No. They only knew that I was going to recruit Issei." Good. He would have hated it if the rest knew about the plan and went ahead with it anyways instead of protesting against it.

Admittedly, he feels bad tearing into Rias despite his calm rage, but if he has to play the villain, so be it. He's already played the role once, back when Kunikaze Okumura had died because of a mental breakdown. If this is revealed to Issei, no. The truth will be found out sooner or later. When this is revealed to Issei, this truth will cause nothing short of grief and heartbreak. It might even shatter every perspective that Issei has on Rias. As kind of a soul as Issei is, he can still hold a grudge. "Let me tell you one thing, Rias Gremory. You are not worthy of Hyoudou Issei." He hisses.

Issei is a rather unique individual, even for a reincarnated devil. He stays true to himself, despite his other... eccentric traits. Whatever bad personality traits he might have had before is now either suppressed or gone, if you count out his perversion. He's much like Yusuke in a way, except that they are vested in two different things. One pursued the beauty of art, the other wanted a harem.

She knows that he speaks the truth. A filthy manipulator like her who played him like a fiddle certainly doesn't deserve one as pure and wonderful as Issei. With that final sentence, she breaks down on her desk, crying. He shouldn't stay here any longer, or he's going to start to feel like shit for making a girl cry. Even if said girl did manipulate the pervert. "I'll tell them to give you some space for a bit." If the rest of them sees her like this right now, they're going to see him as the devil for making her cry like this. Rias also doesn't want them to see her like this, that's for sure.

"Please don't tell Issei and Asia." She begs tearfully. He picks his phone up, unlocking it and pressing a button.

"That depends." He's having trouble with this one issue. If Issei is told right now, it's not going to end up pretty at all. If he withholds the truth and Issei finds out on his own, he would be resented. Both ways would lead to nothing but misery. Truly, the road to Hell is indeed paved with good intentions.

With that, he leaves the ORC, informing the four of them to not go in for a bit. They look at him weirdly for a bit, but they trust him.

He's in no mood to finish the rest of the day anymore, opting to walk to the Student Council to ask for leave for the rest of the day. Perhaps a visit to Issei would be in order.

* * *

"Argento-san." He greets the nun.

"Saviour-san!" Wait, what? Saviour?

"Pardon me, but I am no saviour." Well, he isn't really one. Unless you count that time when he killed Yaladboath. But that was more of him standing up to his beliefs more than anything. He didn't want a world where he would have the "freedom to not think", after all. It was one of those things that made Akira himself, so if that aspect of him was taken away, he would rebel sooner or later.

"But you saved me! I still haven't thanked you after all this time!" He sighs at Asia's reasoning. No, no, she's got a point.

"You make a fair point." He relents. "But you can simply call me Akira."

"Then call me Asia, Akira-san." She smiles.

"Alright, Asia-san." He walks into the house, taking off his shoes.

"You seem troubled."

He is. Back when he was staring down Rias Gremory, he'd been angry. Enraged at her lack of care for humans. Or rather, people with no power. She thought she could dictate the lives of people and get away with it. Now? He's not sure what to do. If he tells Issei now, Issei's reaction to it would be either grief and heartbreak or full denial of it. This is one of those matters of the heart, where a single misstep could utterly break Issei if not tread properly. Issei has to face this somehow, but he doesn't know how to break the news to him.

"You're not as naive as you appear to be." He cannot help but remark. The fact that she says those words give it away. On the first impression, one might simply think Asia Argento as a kind-hearted nun who is rather naive and leave it at that. If it wasn't for the fact that she said that, he would have been stuck with that impression. After all, the kind-heartedness and her naivety that makes Asia herself isn't really a mask, neither is it a facade like Kiba's. It is simply a part of her personality that cannot be erased.

She pours him a cup of tea and sits him down in the living room. "It's because of my Sacred Gear. Do you know what's most important when it comes to healing?"

"Understanding." He answers. Some might dismiss it, saying that knowledge of the body and what the person is suffering from is all they need. But he'd learned from his Personas. Some of them have amassed hefty amounts of knowledge that could put some of the world's biggest libraries to shame.

One does not simply know of the wound, then be able to stitch it back together like it's nothing. If it were to be put in simple terms, then knowledge is simply the superficial level. You simply know about it. Understanding works on a deeper level. You are capable of not only knowing it, but also capable of expressing it in your own words and applying it. If one did not understand how to heal the wound, they could never possibly hope to heal it even if their depth of knowledge were on the level of the best doctors in the world.

"Precisely." She beams at him. "Back in the church, I was still naive when they first approached me, saying that I had been granted a gift from Him. They took me and helped me unlock Twilight Healing. When I first started trying to master it, I couldn't do it. It took me a while before I was able to heal scrapes and bruises. At that time, I simply tried to heal the people that the priests told me to heal, being naive at that time. But when I talked to one of them and gained an understanding about how they suffered the wound, that's when I first figured out how to use Twilight Healing properly."

"Over time, my ability to heal began to grow. But at the same time, my ability to understand people also began to grow as well." He can see where this is going. "There was an exorcist whom I healed. He couldn't take it anymore. He was going to quit. I found out that the Church was a vile institution that did not act on God's will, unlike what they claimed. They were simply a bunch of vile men who forgot what it was like to devote themselves to God. Always climbing over each other, always trying to get more money. They say that God forgives all, but I saw several priests curse those who don't make donations to the Church."

Hypocrisy at it's finest. He did meet a priest at the church back in Kanda, but the person there was much more friendly and was a kind person, that's for sure.

"That's not to say that there aren't kind people either. There were several people who treated me kindly from young though. Still, I think I wanted out at some point. There was another exorcist who knew of the Church's corruption and offered to bring me away. Said that a kind person like me shouldn't be trapped in the Church. But by that point, I had become a Holy Maiden, renowned for my ability to heal, according to them. I couldn't just leave, or there would have been repercussions and I didn't want to implicate him. I think my prayer was heard, because an opportunity literally dropped right in front of my doorstep, you know?"

"Opportunity?"

"A devil appeared near the Church where I stayed. The devil was probably trying to trick me, but it's easy to tell the difference between a self-inflicted wound and a normal one if you looked closely enough. I took the chance, healed the devil. It just so happened that one of the priests had come to 'check up on me' and he saw me healing him. I was immediately called a heretic and cast up for that." What a story. Also, a devil appearing so close to a religious area? That's cause for concern. He makes a mental note of that little detail into the back of his mind for now

"Then how did you end up with the fallen angels?" That's another cause for concern.

"There wasn't any other choice. The fallen were the only ones willing to take me in. I knew they had malicious intentions, but it was them or the devil. Sometimes, I wonder if this is really a blessing, or is it a curse in disguise? Maybe I would have never found out that the Church was like this, corrupt and rotten to the core. Maybe, I would still have been a normal nun in the Vatican." She shows the two silver rings on her fingers that make up Twilight Healing.

"That's quite the story." He confesses. Akira certainly wasn't expecting Asia to have such a life story. Is a Sacred Gear truly a blessing or a curse? "I suppose it is what you make of it. You are the one who holds Twilight Healing."

He'd thought about his ability to steal hearts several times back before they had disbanded. His teammates might have not noticed it, but there had been times when he wavered, when he doubted himself. After all, the deeper they went down into Mementos, the more vile it became. Would it have been better to not continue stealing hearts? Just so that he could avert his eyes away from that repulsive sight?

"You're right, Akira-san. Thank you for listening to me." Honestly, she's certainly a person who is so pure that it's as if nothing could ever taint her, not even turning into a devil, a being of sin, could change that aspect of her.

"No problem."

"So what's been bothering you?"

"..." He doesn't know how to break it to Asia, because it not only involves Issei, but Asia as well.

He decides that it's no time to hesitate right now. "Back when Issei was asking me to train him, I noticed that there was something wrong with him. He was seemingly unusually loyal to Rias at that time. That's when I found out that he got killed by a fallen angel and got saved by Rias. His circumstances of dying were too bizarre to ignore considering the situation in Kuoh at that time. So I did some thinking as I trained him. I confronted Rias earlier today."

"And?" Asia prompts.

"His death was manipulated by Rias. You were simply added into the peerage as well because you just happened to interact with Issei and happened to be at the Church. To her, you were simply a bonus." He admits. Might as well be blunt. "Sure, she might treat you guys kindly and all, but this still left a bad taste in my mouth. I couldn't stand how she just played him like a fiddle, even going as far as to orchestrate Issei's death, that's why I confronted her. But now I'm not sure whether to tell Issei or not."

"I always thought Buchou was a kind person..." Her voice is a stark contrast to her cheerful tone from before, now somber. He did too. Truly, he did.

"So what would you do now?"

"I don't know. She was the only one willing to take me in but this..."

"You know what? You should take some time to think about this for now. So, how's Issei?" Switching topics is the better option right now.

"He's still unconscious. I couldn't heal him properly, the flames of the Phenex did quite a number on him. So much for my Sacred Gear..." She begins sulking. He knows what is the problem.

"You're thinking as if the flames have some sort of special property, as if they're special in some way. It's still just a flame in the end, you know? Just a bit hotter." He points out. He might not have the recording, but it helps that he has several devil based Personas in his mind, some of whom are gladly willing to provide him with the knowledge that helps. Devils of the Phenex Clan tend to have fire manipulation and high-speed regeneration as their clan traits. It's only fire manipulation, not flames with special properties such as hellfire or divine flames.

"You're right! That's it!" Asia dashes upstairs, leaving him alone. Clearly, the former nun is worried about Issei. Well, might as well head upstairs.

* * *

How the hell did one human manage to evade her like this, she'd never know. "Damm it! We've scoured the entire town for him, thrice! And we're still not getting any closer to that human! How is it so hard to find one human in one tiny town?"

"Calm down, Raynare. We've got bigger issues at hand." Her boss speaks up, as they both share a drink. God knows they could both use it, they've been searching for that one human but to no avail. While other low-ranked fallen might think of it as an honor to drink with Azazel himself, Raynare gives zero fucks at this point, her frustration at her failure to find a single person overwhelming her more than anything else.

"What is it?" Her words are slightly slurred.

"Kokabiel intends to start a war." Those words are more than enough to sober her up immediately.

"Wait, what?!" Azazel holds up a hand to stop her from speaking any further.

"Calm down. This is an opportunity to not only draw him out but also eliminate a traitor within our midst." He seems intent on playing the long game.

"So... you're saying Kokabiel-sama betrayed you?" He confirms it with a sigh.

"Unfortunately, yes. I should have noticed the signs, but it's too late now."

"So what happens now?" She knows the answer already, but she'll like to hear it from Azazel himself.

"We wait." She downs the rest of her drink in an instant. God knows she's gonna need more.

* * *

 **Omake: This is how it ends**

 _Before visiting Issei_

Akira's minding his own business, walking down the streets when a magic circle appears out of nowhere. A teleportation circle?

A second later, a man appears in front of Akira. He could almost be mistaken for a female with his crimson red hair. Hell, the guy looked like a male version of Rias. "Who are you?" He withdraws his dagger from his hiding place, ready to fight. It appears that the male is also ready to fight. If this is who he thinks he is, this isn't going to be good.

His voice is monotone. "Hello. I am Sirzechs Lucifer. You made my sister cry. Prepare to die."

Well, shit. So much for a peaceful talk. He dives to the side, avoiding a blast of pure destruction.

Several days later, the Crimson Satan would be brought into question by the devils for destroying a town under that was their jurisdiction while fighting a human. He was let off.

His excuse? "The human threatened both heiresses in charge of the territory."

Akira was minding his own business as usual when another magical circle popped out in the middle of the street. He'd barely recovered from that time when Sirzechs thought it was a good idea to pop out of nowhere and try to kill him, so heading back to Tokyo had been a retreat of sorts. But clearly, it didn't work.

This time, a magical girl appeared. "Hello. I am Serafall Leviathan. You threatened my sister. Prepare to die." Before he was even given a chance to protest or even explain himself, he had to dodge several ice shards, all aimed at his vital points.

A week later, Serafall Leviathan would be brought into question as well for plunging the whole of Tokyo into the worst snowstorm seen in decades _in the middle of summer_ _no less_ while fighting a human, also enraging the Shinto in the process. This began a chain reaction where various factions began to side with either faction. Some thought it an opportunity to get rid of certain factions. It finally hit the tipping point, embroiling the whole world in a massive war.

All because of a human and two siscons.

 _The end._

* * *

 **A/N: And that's the chapter. Before you guys ask, no, this is not a fanfic where I bash Rias. This is more of Akira wanting answers. See, even people like Akira can be ruled by their emotions, and considering what he fought Yaladbaoth for, it's why he does this in the first place. Some might call him a "Gary Stu" character, but he ain't. I like to think of Akira as someone who tries to stand strong for the people who he befriends while fighting for his own beliefs as well. He isn't some sort of character who can truly be perfect. (This writing might or might not also have been me staying up at 4am again)**

 **I also decided to write Asia's story like this because I wanted to flesh it out a bit** **more. H** **er backstory isn't that fleshed out, just says that she discovered her Sacred Gear so yeah. I wrote her backstory like this because i** **f you live in a place long enough, you're bound to see some signs after all.**

 **Anyways, I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter and leave a review if you guys think that there's room for improvement or any requests that you want! Some requests will be considered. Feel free to PM me if you want. Absurd requests are obviously not allowed and dun flame. I am only an amateur at this shit.**

 **On that note, peace out people!**

 **322n**


	15. Morality

**Edit:**

 **3/6/20, 11.11pm: Added in an extra section I forgot to put in last time.**

* * *

 **Responding to reviews 101: Yeah, I know it's been a while since I responded to reviews, might as well start here.**

 **ulttoanova: You have to know that, whatever Rias says after she confesses will sound like an excuse, so there's no way that Issei would easily accept that at face value, just saying.**

 **Fullmetal11791: Yes, yes it is. But that's how I perceive Akira. He won't budge when it comes to certain things, such as people exercising their authority just because they think they can.**

 **Green223: I do have an idea, but it might take a while before that comes to complete fruition.**

 **Gamelover41592: It's because of what Akira fought for.**

 **SuperSaiyanFever: It is karma, yeah. But just because she did something bad doesn't mean she deserves to be punished so heavily. Like you said, we're talking about the mindset of a devil here, not a human's. Something that's largely accepted in Devil society might be heavily condemned amongst humans. I'll say, this is more of a trial for her than anything because she has never faced any hardship in her life up to now.**

 **Akakiru: Because power dictates everything lol.**

 **Wildlylaughing: Perhaps.**

 **And we stop here for now.**

* * *

Location _and Time_

POV

 **Persona Skills/Speech**

[Dragon Speech]

'Mental Speech'

* * *

Akira's POV

 _Shrine, Night_

Issei's recovery had gone very smoothly after the usage of Twilight Healing. The pervert, however, still didn't awaken so he decided to leave first, get some dinner and head back to the shrine. But by this time, it was already night. The moon was slowly rising into the night sky. It's one of the nights where the night is serene as if nothing could disturb this peace. The night sky is certainly ripe for viewing. If he had some sort of beverage right now like tea, he wouldn't mind drinking under the moon while gazing at the moon on the porch. Supposedly, that was an activity not to be missed according to several of his Personae but he hasn't had the opportunity to try it yet.

It wasn't long after he reached the shrine that Akeno came back.

"Mind telling me why Rias has locked herself up in the ORC clubroom?" He knows that Akeno has most likely found out by now, there's no way she wouldn't. He knew it would come to this sooner or later, but certainly wasn't expecting it this soon. Something like this can't be hidden forever. Plus, Akeno is certainly sharp enough to pick up some details too, that's for sure.

"Because she deserves it." In hindsight, he does not hold too much regret for the utter mess he left Rias Gremory in when he left. Sure, it wasn't exactly his policy to make someone feel like complete garbage and talk them down to the point where they start getting depressed. It isn't also necessarily the approach he would choose, perhaps he might have done something more subtle like nudging her in a specific direction without her realizing it.

There are times that a hard approach is necessary, but such an approach doesn't see too much use, due to its volatile nature and potential to backfire. But this is one of those times where he would make an exception. He's not exactly some sort of all-merciful or kind person, despite what people think. He's no saint, that's for sure. If anything, he's just a normal human who cares for people.

"Watch your words." The tension is certainly beginning to thicken now, despite the shrine's serene atmosphere. He can almost detect a hint of ozone around the Priestess of Thunder. Even their current level of friendship could be torn apart if he doesn't choose his words correctly. Well, Akeno is someone who's clearly not meant to be messed with. As if she could threaten him. Even if he got caught off guard in a sneak attack, it wasn't guaranteed that Rias' peerage could defeat him. And why should he back down?

He won't back down on this one. "I mean what I say." In other times, he might back down but this is one of those times that he would gladly fight even a God to defend his beliefs.

"Why is she in that state then?" He sits down on the porch, opting to stare at the beautiful full moon that's hanging on the night sky rather than simply facing Akeno. Huh, Mishima is the one who represents the Moon, now that he thinks about it.

"I'm not sure if you know this, but I'm the Leader of the Phantom Thieves of Heart. Or at least I was before it disbanded." He freely admits. If one wants to understand his actions, it would be better to start at the beginning than to give a vague excuse. Since he's already in quite deep and he couldn't proceed any further without raising any suspicions about himself, he might as well speak first.

His face turns into a frown as he remembers those days when he first started out at Shujin Academy. The academy had been far less receiving than Kuoh, but then again he hadn't entered Kuoh with a criminal record. "At first, we stole the heart of a gym teacher because he was abusing his students. One student even got sexually assaulted and attempted to commit suicide. He threatened to expel us. That was the tipping point and what started us off. I was really pissed at that time, but I didn't quite know what I was getting into. I just wanted to make him confess.

Then the few of us agreed to continue stealing hearts. We found several other people whose hearts were twisted, that's why we stole it. Some did petty crimes. Others, they were essentially acting within the grey area where the law couldn't reach them.

Then came the artist. We found out through one of the people whose hearts we previously stole. He constantly exploited young and promising artists, stole their works. There was someone under his thumb, who believed in his teacher. But the truth that he found was much uglier. The artist's heart was a reflection of his vanity, completely repulsive. His students, treated as nothing more than pieces that belonged to him and could exploit, tossed away when they couldn't paint for him anymore. That's when I thought. I would protect people and their freedom to choose. I didn't want to see people end up like that anymore, with things out of their control. Kaneshiro just reinforced that notion of mine."

Yes. It sounds like a stupid notion. But he just didn't want to see people like that, ever again. The potrait of Yusuke and his fellow students in the museum had sent shivers down his spine the moment they'd realized what it truly meant. His heart had been shaken multiple times throughout his adventures into various Palaces, each time worse than the last.

Kaneshiro's perception of people... it was perhaps one of the more terrifying perceptions of people, alongside Palaces such as Shido's and Mementos. The sight of all the people in Shibuya as ATMs? Broken, lying on the ground as if they were nothing more than a waste of space? Falling from the sky because they couldn't give Kaneshiro more money? That was something that took him a while to get past.

Kunikaze Okumura. Using his employees as fuel for every single purpose possible he could find, from a normal worker with overworked hours left underpaid, to being fuel for others. Not to mention the rife corruption that was spreading throughout the company.

Masayoshi Shido. His heart could be summed up easily in one sentence, but the implications were terrifying to say the least. He alone shall live, even if the others will sink. He wasn't sure to think which was worse. Being treated as a money machine until you couldn't cough up any more money, being used non-stop, even after you couldn't work anymore, or being disregarded and left to die unless you were of use. He shuddered to think what would happen if Shido actually became President. But nothing could beat the cognition that was Mementos.

"We stole the hearts of several other high profile targets, including the likes of Kunikaze Okumura and Masayoshi Shido. Yet, after stealing the heart of the politician, we realized something. No one seemed to care about the fact that Masayoshi Shido himself had confessed to several crimes on live TV, in fact opting to deny that fact. We realized something. Something was manipulating them to deny that fact. We delved deep into the heart of the public. We found people in a prison. It was called the Prison of Regression. The worse part? People were willingly going into that prison. Then we found a Holy Grail. The worst part? It was using the people within the prison as _fuel_." The first half is common knowledge. The second half? Not so much.

Mementos itself...while it might have been a cognition of the public's subconsciousness, the thought of it was petrifying, to say the least. Each of the paths represented something. Each of the paths within it represented something being taken away. The deeper it went, the more it took away from the people and replaced it with something else until the unsuspecting masses reached the Prison of Regression. He hadn't thought much when he found out that the paths were named after several Hebrew words through Oracle's scanners until they had snuck into that prison on that fateful day.

"Oh my..." Akeno murmurs.

"Do you know why they willingly went into that prison? Did you know what the Holy Grail promised them? Freedom from having to choose. Free will. One of the aspects that makes us human. Taken away. That was a representation of the public's cognition." He spits it out. "We were nearly erased from existence because of the Holy Grail manipulating the cognition of people to make them think we didn't exist. It was through some means that we managed to get survive that and fight against the Holy Grail. I refused to live in a world where how I lived would be dictated. Every single movement, every single thought. Controlled. Unable to act against. I didn't want that kind of future."

It nearly broke him. He nearly broke from the realization that cognitive Shido gave him. It was only through the timely intervention of the wardens of the prison at that time that allowed him and everyone else some form of temporary but a much-needed reprieve at that time. The adrenaline rush that came through combat was the sole thing that had been distracting him at that time. If his heart hadn't been tempered through various trials in the form of the Palaces and his confidants, he might have immediately fallen into despair.

How could humanity choose to be like this? Sitting in jail cells, playing roles that had already been preordained for them. Why? Why were they so content with this? Why did they not choose to break out on their own accord, with the exception of a few?! Why would they choose to stagnate like this instead of further breaking their limits? Why? It was almost as if the entire world was mocking him at that time, even if the people's subconsciousness had been influenced via the Holy Grail. Shido becoming President might even have been the better alternative. If it was the world's idea of playing a cruel joke on him, then it had succeeded.

"And guess what? Turns out, the Holy Grail managed to merge the subconscious with reality, creating a hellish landscape where it could demonstrate its power. And I fought against the Holy Grail once again, with my comrades. We staked our very lives against it. If we lost, we lost our lives. It wouldn't allow us to exist any further, to threaten it. Just when we thought we won, it goes and reveals itself to be Yaldabaoth. It was supposedly a God, its power being on a whole another level, unlike the foes we faced before. Still, we didn't back down. We nearly died, you know? Its last attack damm near killed me, I still have scars on my chest."

After all, Phantom Thief clothing doesn't stop wounds from forming on the body, with it simply being a fancy costume that wouldn't get damaged. It acted more like a mirage than anything, though the sensation of them wearing the outfit was something they could fee, as the clothing represents their "will of rebellion. As long as their will stood firm, it would never be damaged.

The armour he wore underneath didn't help with defending against the devastating attack, however. The Rays of Control had simply shredded through it like paper through a shredder, the scars on his chest from that attack are a reminder of that hot, searing pain that he experienced taking it head on with literally no resistance.

"The people cheered me on and I found a way to kill it. I staked my life against a being with the power of God and slew it just to protect one of the few things I treasured.

Free will.

Then I found out that Rias spat on it. Stepped on it like it was nothing. She set Issei up to die by the hands of the fallen angels, just so that she could have him in her peerage. What kind of choice did Issei have? None at all! He didn't even know he was going to die that night when he went on that date with the fallen angel! I got so angry when I found out about it. She simply disregarded that which I struggled so hard for. Do you know what it's like to have what you fought for, that which you even betted your life for in the process, just be simply disregarded like that?!" He stares directly into Akeno's violet eyes, daring her to challenge him.

Akeno is unable to answer him. It takes a while before she speaks up. "I don't." She admits.

"I... I'm sorry for ranting." He might have been quite out of character for the last few minutes with that tirade of his, in all honesty.

"It's alright. But it still does not excuse what you did to Rias." Akeno is not willing to look at him. But he can tell that she is deeply affected by him. That act of not facing him alone already speaks volumes.

"To you, perhaps. She needs a harsh dose of reality. She needs to understand that her actions have consequences." Yes, it sounds cold and harsh. No, he's not going to budge on it. He might apologize in the future, but he won't budge on it. "And I heard she was angry about losing her freedom to some random person whom she can defeat provided she trained hard enough?!"

He had, of course, asked for specific details on how Rias felt about her arranged marriage during Issei's training. Issei is again, surprisingly perceptive of emotions. His honesty also makes it hard for the pervert to lie as well. Though he had to admit, he wasn't expecting Rias to try and jump the pervert in his bed.

"That's..." Akeno can't deny what he's getting at.

"See my point? She had the opportunity to change her own fate with her own two hands unlike others who aren't so fortunate, but she didn't even try to do so until ten days before the Game. It's not just the fact that she set up Issei to die that I'm angry at her for. It's also the fact that she had the ability to do so but she doesn't act on it but drags an innocent, unrelated person into her problem as well. And now because of that, Issei's in for a world of heartbreak when he finds out."

She has a superb edge in the form of the Power of Destruction, which her brother, the Crimson Satan himself, used to claw up to the highest hierarchy of devil kind and she doesn't try to hone it into a sharp blade that's to her advantage? That's just asking to be beaten. Some people don't even get the opportunity to fight for themselves.

Instead, she simply assumed that the wielder of the Boosted Gear would be able to magically do it for her when in fact, he was nothing more than just a regular human.

"I see your point." Akeno's voice is soft. "But Rias has been my best friend since I was young." She trails off at that point, clearly not willing to reveal more of that matter. He can understand that.

"You can't bear to choose between your friend and morals. That's fine." Given how the two seemed to be attached at the hip most of the time when he saw them in school, that much is painfully obvious.

"Am I that easy to read?"

He shakes his head and denies it. "You've been trying to defend Rias. But you're also hesitating at the same time because all I spoke were pretty much all facts that could not be denied." Reading people isn't as easy as people make it out to be. You have to keep track of certain cues, such as their speech pattern, body language, and various behaviors they exhibit under a certain mood. And you also have to know the person intimately for people who are more guarded and distrustful of others to notice such cues in the first place. Right now, he isn't really reading her, but simply keeping track of the conversation.

"You're right about that." Akeno smiles mirthfully. "I just can't turn my back on her, even though I now know she did something like this. She's not inherently a bad person, you know?"

"It proves that you're a loyal friend at the very least." If Akeno wasn't, she wouldn't have bothered to come and confront him in the first place. That's something he can appreciate at the very least. While Akeno might come across to people as a vulgar woman due to her constant flirting, her loyalty is still something that is rather commendable.

He goes back to staring at the moon as Akeno leaves him alone, the tension finally diffused, returning the shrine to its normal serene atmosphere. It was as if the tense conversation had never happened, but it'd managed to deepen the bond between the two.

Now, maybe he should start thinking about how to salvage the situation before he ends up on the shitlist of the Lucifer himself. Maybe channeling his inner Kohryu might help. Within his mind, the ancient Dragon chuckles lightly.

* * *

Akeno's POV

 _School, Morning_

She walked to school this morning, as usual. But unlike the norm, Rias was not walking next to her and she is currently deeply lost in her thoughts. Was Rias Gremory still camped up in the clubroom? Perhaps. It had everything. From food leftover in a fridge to a bed to sleep to a shower to clean herself. There wasn't a very high chance of Rias leaving the room today. And possibly for the next few days as well.

Rias, her best friend, a kind-hearted soul who couldn't seem to hurt a fly at times had manipulated Issei's death? The thought itself was unthinkable. She couldn't fully wrap her head around that truth. Yet, the dots had connected themselves last night after a single push from Akira. She almost felt sick to the stomach.

The facts were already present. Issei had been somehow resurrected on the same night when he went on the date with the fallen angel, that much she had confirmed from Rias. Koneko also had been keeping tabs on him since the start of the year.

What Akira had said last night, it'd blindsided her so hard. His tale alone had been nothing short of... just wow. She couldn't even begin to comprehend it. Not only that, but Akira had also been so right on so many levels, she couldn't find a single way to refute him at all. There was no way she could, when he presented each fact that they both knew were proven to be true.

It was the first time that her attempt to retort back had been shut down so easily like this. The argument had been airtight with the help of the facts were already present, leaving not even a hint of an opening for her to counter it. Such as the fact that Issei had somehow been resurrected on the same night that he went on a date with the fallen angel. That alone couldn't be a coincidence. She didn't know that Akira's ability to talk had been so high, but the signs had been there. Such as him not easily getting flustered and even managing to counter her at times during her various flirting attempts with him. She should have paid more attention to him.

Not only that, the way Akira spoke. It'd been so raw, so emotional. He sounded so vulnerable as if whatever he saw was enough to scar him for life. Perhaps it was. The way he spoke, it'd struck her to the core. She'd never expect him to share his story like this, however. At least, it did help in giving her an idea of why he did whatever he did to Rias.

But she's conflicted now. If Akira represents the morality side of the matter, then Rias represents the other end of the spectrum, doing whatever it takes without caring for the consequences but she still has a personal connection to the person. She can't decide which side to take. It's too hard to pick one. Why must Akira do this to her? She sighs. At the very least, he's an understanding person. And quite possibly one of the nicest guys she's ever had the pleasure/misfortune of knowing as well. While he is indeed good company to be around at times, throwing such a dilemma onto a girl just like that is such a dick move. She pouts at that.

Damm it! Why does everything relating to him have to be so hard to deal with? First, his unknown powers and now this? He made it sound as if she could never hope to beat him. He wasn't that powerful, right?

She stops dead in her tracks, seeing the Student Council President herself standing outside the door that leads into the ORC Clubroom. Well shit. Rias is clearly in no state to see anyone right now, if her state from last night is of any indication.

Unfortunately for her, Sona seems to have noted her appearance. She turns around to greet her. "Akeno. May I know where is Rias? We were supposed to discuss the latest stray devils that have made their way into Kuoh, but she has failed to respond to any message that I sent." That was yesterday? Throughout her response, her face does not change in the slightest, but she can tell that Sona is irked by Rias not meeting up or even dropping a text to explain her absence as well as with Akeno herself.

Such is the personality of Sona, a characteristic of hers that is well known by the school, to the point where anyone who dares to be tardy in her presence will end up with being glared by Sona until they feel like a piercing, ice-cold glare staring at them, as if ready to deliver punishment. Or so those who have experienced it described. Some have suffered worse fates, having been on the receiving end of one of the offers to play chess that Sona sometimes gives if she's in the mood. The only state that they end up is nothing short of getting completely crushed into smithereens without any hope to recover their pride, ending up having to bend backward for her. No one in the school could ever hope to match up to Sona in a chess match, after all.

If Sona asked you to meet her at a certain time, you best better be present ten minutes before the stipulated time, or you might find yourself in hot water. This is the current situation that both Rias and her face right now. If Rias didn't show up, it was Akeno's responsibility to be there, because the Queen was the one who was supposed to take over the King's responsibilities in times where the King is unable to be present. Sona must have been annoyed when no one bothered to show up last night, which leads to this current situation. "She's... currently indisposed."

"Oh? Please, do explain." She could have sworn that Sona's spectacles had glinted, adding on to the strict president persona that she keeps up all the time.

"I think it's better if you see for yourself." It's not easy to describe the situation with just a few words.

She opens the door easily. As expected, the reason why Sona didn't go in was that Rias had made use of the magic charms that guarded the building and room against potential enemies to only limit access to only her and her fellow peerage members. Rias should still be inside, in any case.

"What happened?" As expected, Sona didn't lose her composure upon seeing the sorry state that Rias is in but the urgency in her tone betrays it. First of all, she stank. It was clear that she didn't shower last night. Her hair had to be washed every day to maintain that glossy sheen, a chore that Rias gladly undertook. Yet, her hair today didn't look anything like it would on a normal day, it wasn't the standard vibrant crimson but more of a dull red. Her eyes were bloodshot, as if she hadn't slept all night and instead spent it on just crying instead. They were a complete blank, totally unfocused as she stared at the wall instead of turning to face them.

"Hey, Sona. Do you think I'm a bad person?" Rias mutters loud enough for both of them to hear. She doesn't wait for an answer. "Maybe Kurusu was right."

As expected, Sona is quick on the uptake, immediately recognizing the name. "What do you mean Kurusu was right? Does he have anything to do with your current state?" Sona looks towards Akeno for an answer.

Akeno can only nod. "What was he thinking?! Is he trying to seek his death?" Sona hisses. For good reason too. It is well known that Sirzechs Lucifer is an overprotective siscon, in fact he's so overprotective that some say that only one other person can contend with him in that area. If the Crimson Satan ever found out that a human reduced Rias Gremory, his little sister into this state...

Suffice to say, there might be no stopping him until the target is down, as one of the strongest beings of the world. If that happened, there was a possibility that Kuoh Town might be erased off the map, due to the volatile nature of his power. Some have already suffered the fate of being erased by the Power of Destruction for daring to even _think_ about harming said sister. The end result had been rather disastrous for those people. There was nothing worse than being erased, not even being able to leave behind some ashes.

"It's not as simple as you think, Sona." Having heard his side of the story, she can only try to defend Akira a bit without making it seem like she's actually on his side.

"Then pray tell me, what is the reason?"

"I let Issei die just so that I could get him into my peerage. Aren't I a terrible person, Sona?" Rias is the one to provide an answer, giving a smile to Sona as if she hadn't said anything that could potentially get her Pillar into trouble.

See, there's always an unspoken rule when it comes to dirty things in the political landscape of Hell. Anything goes. As long as it is not outright admitted, then you can do whatever you want, so as long as it doesn't go beyond a certain point. For example, murder. As long as you didn't kill someone who had a reputation of sorts or a pureblood devil or start a massacre big enough to make people turn their heads, it was fine as long as you could cover it up and never breathe a word of it. Hell, it was even encouraged at times. Devils were meant to sin, after all and preventing themselves from doing that one thing would not end up well at all.

The moment you admitted it, however, it would be turned into a big deal. Mostly because of the reincarnated devils and the low to mid-class devils that happened to make up the majority of the devil population as many a time, those dirty deeds would often involve them as the victim and none of them would willingly to let a chance like that slip away. It was an open secret that a lot of High Class Devils tend to treat them wrongly, so having something like that might allow them to push for more benefits and such and none of the Pillars wanted that. Rias saying those words was akin to starting a scandal, something that could be used as ammo against the Gremory Pillar and the Maou himself.

Thankfully, Sona is the person she's talking to right now. Were it any other devil who bore a grudge against the Gremory, they would have instantly jumped at the chance to exploit it, especially seeing how Rias is in perhaps her most vulnerable state right now. "What? Please tell me that's not true."

"It is, I'm afraid. I have no idea what went down yesterday, but Akira confronted Rias yesterday during lunchtime. Afterward, he left but told us to not enter. I suspected something was wrong after a short while so I asked Koneko and Kiba to go back first and I checked up on Rias." The rest doesn't have to be said, as Sona is intelligent enough to finish the rest of the picture on her own.

"So that's why he requested to leave early yesterday. Are you sure about this?"

"Yes."

"This could be troublesome." Troublesome is simply understating it. Sona knows it as well.

* * *

"I wasn't expecting you to bring a companion back." He cannot help but warily eye the second cat that's next to Morgana. He's slightly unnerved by the hazel-gold eyes that are staring at him intensely as if the cat is sizing him up. A moment later, she goes back to licking her paws. Something tells him that the cat is more than it meets the eyes, that he should be wary. But still, it doesn't help that he has developed a soft spot for cats thanks to Morgana over the past year. The cat won't bring him any harm. Hopefully. "Come on, let's head back."

One idle thought lingers in his mind. How the hell did he know that the cat was a female?

* * *

When had it all gone so wrong?

The first time she met Akira Kurusu, she didn't think much of him. At best, he was probably just another human whose impression would fade within time. She'd detected him using mana. He could have potentially been a good Bishop. But she hadn't expected him to be the source of the burst of power at the church. For her parents to be so wary of him. What kind of attention did he garner to even cause her parents to be wary? Still, it should have been nothing, right?

She was wrong. She'd been... forced? No, but rather, manipulated into giving him information about the Supernatural. In all honesty, she disliked it when she had to do that. Why did she have to accommodate for a mere human? The only times she did that were when she had been summoned for a contract, and those people had been easy enough to appease, with just some money deposited into their account, favors done for them and such.

Then, in the Familiar Forest, he'd somehow managed to evade Tiamat, the Chaos Karma Dragon. That was a feat that few could claim to have done. Fine. She'll take him more seriously.

Then came the Rating Game. Issei had been trained by Akira himself, then her cute Pawn had managed to win the game for her.

So, was she really in the wrong?

She'd been scolded for doing several things wrong in the past. She'd been scolded several times when her dress appeared sloppy at a formal event. She'd been scolded when she accidentally did something naughty as a kid. But she hadn't been scolded when she treated a human like he wasn't much.

She had not seen a problem when she resurrected Issei that way. After all, he was now her Pawn and of course, she would take good care of him. He even looked happy to have become a devil! She won the Rating Game too. Everyone ended up happy. Except for Akira.

So where did she go wrong?

* * *

 **A/N: Alright, so that's the chapter. Took me a while to get it down, but this is what I kind of wanted to explore while rewriting A Hidden World, a "what if the consequences of setting up Issei's death surfaced in the earlier parts of canon(with a little bit of aid of course)?" This is something I never got to do test out until now.**

 **Rias grew up sheltered, so she doesn't know how to treat people. It's not like she's a bad person, it's just she's inexperienced and she's never experienced having to deal with such things up to now.** **She has the mindset of a sheltered person. To put it simply, sheltered people don't get exposed to certain stuff and they build some sort of fantasy about how life is like, then when they are forced to face it and that fantasy is shattered, they either break or turn to other stuff, aka what happened to Rias here. This is essentially a trial for her that will make or break her future.**

 **There's also Akira explaining his backstory which is more of extending an olive branch than anything because he knows that he's not going to be able to hide that forever.**

 **Anyways, I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter and leave a review if you guys think that there's room for improvement that you think is possible! Feel free to PM me if you want.** **On that note, peace out people!**

 **322n**


	16. Morality II

_A day earlier_

Morgana's POV

He scowls.

If only he had his Persona. Seeing Akira regain his powers, not going to lie, he felt a bit of envy. He could never forget the rush that came alongside using Zorro or Mercurius, the adrenaline that got one's blood pumping in a battle, making himself useful as he helped to fight foes and heal his teammates. They were literally him, after all. Now? He's just nothing more than a simple housepet who wanders around the town, interacting with various cats at times.

While this sort of lifestyle is certainly much more relaxing, it didn't feel right. It didn't feel right that he was simply living the relatively stress-free life here, doing nothing but licking his paws while Akira did all the heavy lifting. He'd been informed of the meeting between Akira and the Hero Faction. There was a storm coming and he couldn't do anything about it.

He couldn't talk through phones, because when talking over the phone, the voices are heavily processed, hence it would come out as nothing more than a meow on the other side should he try to speak with any of the team and his paws were not suited to use the tiny keyboard on the phone. He could understand Akira's reluctance to tell everyone, but this is something that should be tackled by everyone together.

He was tired of this. He didn't like being useless. He didn't want to be dead weight anymore. He wanted his Persona again. He wanted to fight alongside Akira. He wanted to be of use to Akira. But just wanting it, doesn't mean you'll get it. Morgana had no idea how he awakened his Persona. Despite having witnessed most of the team's awakenings, he doubted that it was just as easy as ripping a mask off his face, mostly because he had never ripped off a mask when using Zorro or Mercurius. It looked pretty painful too, a pain that he wasn't sure he wanted to experience.

Sighing, he expertly navigated over the tall walls of Kuoh Academy, using the trees and his superior dexterity to get over it. Since he didn't have anything to do now, he might as well just check out the school and see how Akira is doing. He pauses midstep, noticing something strange.

Another cat? Strange, he knew of the various cats due to his various walks in the town and he'd never seen any animal lurk near the school. Given how there's a barrier at school that acts as a deterrence barrier of sorts by implementing suggestions within their minds, a normal cat shouldn't be able to make it in. The barrier had made him think of going away, a thought that most animals would have acted on due to their intelligence not being very high, with Morgana being an exception with his mind able to easily overcome that weak compulsion. This cat was sitting on a tree branch that gave a direct view for a Year 1 classroom if he remembered correctly.

He decides to approach the cat. The cat feels...strange. Even though he might not have his Persona anymore, his senses have not dulled too much. It feels as if she blends in with the tree so well that he would have mistaken it as a normal cat. But it made a mistake. It blended _too well_ , to the point where it felt as if the cat was nothing.

"Meow?" Morgana starts. Cats generally interact with meows and purrs, yes. But the way they perceive it is different. It's not like they will actually perceive the meows/purrs cats make to each other like how humans can easily perceive words and their entire meaning. Cats perceive the sounds that their race makes in a more general manner, they only tend to be able to understand the general meaning and not anything too sophisticated behind the sounds, due to their limited intellect. With that limited intellect, it makes them unable to form more complicated sentences with the sounds they make as well.

Plus, it's not like he can actually speak, just that due to some cognition bullshit, the Phantom Thieves' brains translate his meows into words. Well he could try speaking since he knows of how to speak, but his vocal cords differ from that of a human's, which means that any attempt would make it harder for him to speak.

So that's why when the cat meowed back after a short while, he was shocked to realize that he could fully understand the meow, and not just the general meaning. The first thought that crossed his mind was that he had to somehow show Akira the cat.

* * *

 _Shrine, Current Night_

Akira's POV

He'd finally realized why the cat was so strange and gave off such a weird feeling. It took an hour's worth of observation and some thinking, but he finally figured why it felt wrong. No, it doesn't have anything to do with the fact that it has two tails. Mutations weren't an uncommon thing, and there were definitely stranger things around the world than a cat with two tails.

There is a cat sitting in front of him, he can see that. His other senses tell him that there is nothing there. See the problem?

Others might have fallen for the trick, thinking of the cat as nothing more than part of the backdrop but not him. If he were to put it in words, it's like the cat is trying to get people to ignore that it exists. "I see it." He mutters the familiar words used to activate the Third Eye. A handy little gift from Igor, just that he hasn't been using it much. It's best used for recon and the like, it doesn't have much utility value in combat where you're fighting for your life.

The cat is shrouded in a weird aura. It's hard to tell what exactly it is, but if he were to describe it, it would be reminiscent of something that is like nature. It's like the cat is in tune with nature or something. There is also a dark aura that's been heavily suppressed to the point of him almost being unable to see it, but its implications are undeniable. He could ask his Personae, but he doesn't want to rely on them too much, not that they are that reliable anyway.

That must have been what Morgana was trying to tell him earlier. Akira has no idea how Morgana found the cat, nor how he managed to convince the cat to come along. He should probably keep the cat close by, or at least have Morgana observe her, but given how cats seem to have a whimsical behaviour, this one might not be too different as well.

Odd. The cat had also twitched earlier, as if reacting to his usage of the Third Eye. Another thing to note. What is this cat? How is it reacting to him using magic? Perhaps it was a Familiar sent by the Hero Faction to spy on him?

No. If it was, it wouldn't have come here in the first place, it would have been better off spying on him from a distance and he would have already known if it was attempting to observe him. This cat clearly didn't have any reason to stay around and it was led here by Morgana, so that meant that it was highly likely not trying to observe him. The Hero Faction wouldn't have bet on his cat bringing another one back, it would have been too risky. His mind continuously churns out a few other possibilities, but they are all shot down due to their low feasibility.

In the end, he can only let the cat stay here and have Morgana observe it, watch its actions. "If you're going to stay here, then I'll need to give you a name."

The cat continues to laze on the floor, not even deigning to look at him. This is going to be hard.

* * *

 _Morning, Student Council_

Of course, he should have expected Sona Sitri's interference as well. The moment he entered the school, he'd been guided to the Student Council by the Vice-President, leaving him no chance of escape. Well, he could have tried to escape Tsubaki Shinra and would have most likely succeeded as well, but a meeting with the Student Council had been long overdue. Plus, he's interested in hearing what she wants to say. If they want to make him apologize or something, there's no way he will do it. Even exerting her authority on him won't do anything, not that she had any authority over him in the first place.

He stares down at Sona Sitri. Her glare isn't something to be afraid of. Heh, she can glare at him all she wants but it won't do anything. He'd faced tougher, like Sae Nijima, for example. Iwai's stare could probably make some people scared with just a few seconds of eye contact, as expected of a former Yakuza member. In comparison to those two, Sona Sitri is but a mere fledging when it comes to trying to intimidate people.

"To what do I own the pleasure of seeing the Student Council?" Her entire peerage is present, pretending to do work related to the Student Council but he knows better. They are here to safeguard their King in case something goes wrong. He can detect the not so pleasant intentions of Sona Sitri, who's currently focused on him. Well, it's not that they are pleasant, but they more or less align with that he doesn't want to deal with.

"Akira Kurusu. Do you have any idea of what you've done?" Ah, so she's getting straight to the point. Perfect. This won't take long then.

"I was defending my beliefs, that's what I've done."

"You've essentially earned the ire of Sirzechs Lucifer himself. Right now, the only thing that's stopping him from killing you is that no one else has checked up on Rias next." The Student Council gasps. So they haven't heard. Well, this will be interesting.

"And?"

"You should fix this. Apologize to her." Apologize? Even if Hell freezes over, he won't do such an absurd thing. Even if he was threatened with his life on the line, he wouldn't do it.

"You think you can simply make me apologize to her? What a joke." He can appreciate that Sona is being more forthcoming, considering how she's at the very least attempting to mediate the conflict and trying to wrap it up in the simplest and least harmful way possible, he can respect that much. Too bad he isn't someone who's going bend backwards just for them. It'll take more than mere words to make him apologize.

He also has more than enough reason to dislike Rias. Rias Gremory, his opinion of her isn't really high. It's as if she doesn't really regard him as anything, or at the very least didn't treat him as anything much until the Familiar Forest incident. When she gave him the full details of the Supernatural World, she clearly didn't like how she was being forced to yield. It's as if she has never really been on the side where she stands to lose more. Then again, considering her background, there's a high chance that's the situation.

"Listen here, I'm just trying to fi-"

"No, _you listen here_ , Sona Sitri." He brings forth one of his stronger Persona, the heavy pressure enveloping the entire room in an instant. He will make a point right now. "I might just be a human, but I will not bend my knee just like that. Even I have my pride, and I will not give up my pride just like that. Even if someone tries to make me, they best better be prepared to bleed for it. Are we clear on that?" He releases the pressure.

He may fix it. But that doesn't mean he will apologize. It's as simple as that.

"Hey, apologize to Sona-kaichou!" The only other male in the room cries out. If he remembered correctly, that is the only male of the Student Council. Honestly speaking, he seems rather disappointing. Probably a pawn, he doesn't seem to have the fortitude, intellect or speed to be a Rook, a Bishop or a Knight. While appearances might be deceiving, he's willing to gamble that he's right on the money for this one.

"No, I don't think I will. You're welcome to make me try, however." Sona's peerage isn't going to be able to beat him either. Even if they all tried to fight him at once, alongside their King, it still wouldn't be enough. He's already accounted for any possible Sacred Gears they might have as well so barring Longinus tier, he can handle it. Even so, he has enough raw power and if he wished it, he could simply let loose some of his more powerful Personae, though he wasn't sure how they'd react to having demons or angels at his command.

"You..."

"Enough, Saji." Sona shoots a piercing glare to diffuse the situation. "Please don't antagonize my peerage, Kurusu-san."

"Sure, sure. So, as I was saying, are we clear about that?"

"..." Of course, it's hard for Sona Sitri to bow her head towards a human just like that. If anything, pride is her sin as a Devil. No doubt cultivated from young up till now. That pride would make it hard for her to easily yield to anyone unless someone manages to prove to her that they are superior.

"You're welcome to try me, as I said earlier. The only question is, whose pride will fall harder?"

* * *

Sona's POV

*Clack*

There is only the sound of chess pieces being moved, as both competitors are currently engaged in a deadlock, neither of them wanting to give the other even a single inch because they both knew if the moment that happened, they would seize the opportunity to take a yard. Such is the ruthlessness of chess, the chosen method of competition.

She'd been surprised when he willingly agreed to a chess match, because it was no secret that chess is her forte.

Neither her or Akira are willing to relent, all because of one simple thing. Pride. If Sona had to point out her gravest sin, hers would be Pride. It was always made clear. Her grades were constantly at the top of the cohort, far above even Rias, even though it's said that devils have better cognitive ability as compared to humans, hence their average intellect would always be higher. It simply proves how far she exceeds her peers when it comes to her intelligence. Not only that, but her position as Student Council President is also well deserved, as it is known by everybody. Another example of her own Pride in play.

Yet, how is it possible that a human is capable of keeping up with her?! Sure, Akira was already different from most humans, that had been established. Akira Kurusu is someone who is not to be underestimated, given how easily he made that threat earlier. That was why she didn't hesitate to take him seriously the moment the match began. So how, how can he keep up with her when she's clearly doing her best?

"Holy shit, how is he keeping up with Sona-kaichou?" Her Pawn mutters, but she pays that comment no heed. All that is needed to pay attention to is the chessboard in front of her and the opponent across her. The moment she lets slip her concentration will be the moment when he gains the upper hand.

He is frowning in concentration, considering his next move. His hand moves to pick up the Pawn, to take her Pawn. Tch, she'd gotten careless. But he also coincidentally set up the perfect way to take that Pawn through her Bishop.

She doesn't hesitate. Immediately, she does so, taking the Pawn. He smirks. Her heart fell in that instant. She'd fallen into his trap.

"Check." The Bishop she moved had been right in front of her King, so moving it allowed him to move his Rook to a spot that gave him a window of opportunity. What should she do now? If she doesn't move her Bishop, it would be swallowed up by the Kni-?

When had that Knight been there? Her mind finally registers the Knight. There could only be one reason why she didn't notice. The Pawn. The Pawn had been a bait and she took it. Hook, line, and sinker.

Now, if she doesn't move her Bishop, she would lose it, but if she moves it, she would protect her King. But there's no way, right?

Apprehensively, she moves her Bishop back to the original position.

His hand reaches for the Rook. There's no way that he's doing it, right? To send his Rook into enemy territory just like that.

Without any hesitation whatsoever, his Rook takes her Bishop. "Check."

Her Knight effortlessly takes that Rook, avenging the loss of her Bishop. Why would he take that kind of dumb risk? Her mind goes into overdrive analyzing the chessboard once more, trying to grasp any detail that she'd missed. Her eyes widen as every part of the board is taken into consideration.

Impossible. She's actually at a disadvantage. How had she not noticed this at all? How had he managed to run around in circles around her?

His pieces are capable of taking her pieces in several positions, but at the same time, if he executes those maneuvers, she will be able to take those pieces, not without suffering the loss of those pieces of course. In essence, his strategy is a high risk, high reward one. What kind of strategy is this? Is he insane? She cannot afford to play this carelessly, or else she'll face a loss. Not just any loss. The first loss at something she's supposed to be the best in.

She looks up at him, trying to confirm something. His expression tells her all she needs to know. He _knew_ what he was doing. She got his message, loud and clear.

"If you want, we can call it a tie." That infuriating smirk of his did not help in the slightest.

It would be the first time of her life that she was forced into a tie in a chess match. On this day, it was Sona Sitri's Pride that fell harder.

* * *

Issei's POV

He had wondered why Asia looked so serious when he woke up. She always looks so carefree and innocent, but today is an exception. What could have bothered her to this extent? Such an expression on her face doesn't suit her at all. After he took a shower, had a meal and got back on his feet, the bomb was dropped. He didn't even get a chance to brace himself.

"Your death was set up by Rias."

Denial.

"Wait, what? Are you sure about this?" There's no way that what Asia said could be true, right? Did Rias really set him up to die? Why would she go through all that trouble just to make sure he died? How would she even know that Raynare was going to approach him? What reason would she have to d-

His permanent crimson arm provides the answer for him. The Boosted Gear. That would be why. One of the Thirteen Longinus that was said to hold enough power to kill even Gods. That kind of power would hold a fatal attraction for anyone. Faced with undeniable proof, he can't deny it anymore. To deny any further would be delusional.

Anger.

A Dragon's rage is nothing to scoff at. Even when incapacitated, bound or shackled, a Dragon is never to be messed with. Dragons are _power_ itself. Dragons have pride. Nay, it would be better to say Dragons are Pride. Ddraig is no exception to this rule, neither is his host, who is part Dragon, to a lesser extent.

"She allowed Raynare to kill me just like that?!" Asia's words had easily allowed him to piece everything together in an instant. He remembers that fateful day clearly. Why had she allowed him to die like that? Was that why she seemed to act so kind around him? Did she have a guilty conscience of sorts? It sickened him. She acted kindly to him just because she had a guilty consciousness? Or maybe not. Maybe she just wanted to secure his loyalty. That would make far more sense than anything else.

 _Rias Gremory knew._ He'd not only been played like a fool by Raynare throughout the date and even got killed, but Rias Gremory knew of it and didn't take any action. Sure, he was a pervert but was he really beyond saving? Was it not even worth it to just drop him a hint or something? Was he only reincarnated because of the Boosted Gear? What would happen if he didn't have the Boosted Gear? Would he have just died, bleeding out in that park?

And the worst part. How could he have been so blind to all of this?

Wait. There had been a hint. _"You know that even if you train, you might not have the ability to defeat Riser Phenex. Riser Phenex is clearly almost an insurmountable mountain to you. Why do you want to defeat him, even though you yourself know that there's barely any chance to defeat him?"_

Did Akira know? Nevermind. Now's not the time for that. He hadn't taken Akira's words into consideration back then. That is his own fault. There is something else much more important to deal with. That bitch. She tried to manipulate him into serving her like a loyal dog. How dare she. He's not a dog. He's a Dragon.

Damm the consequences. He won't be played for a fool any longer. He's going to find Rias and he's going to get some answers.

* * *

He was, of course, patient enough to wait until night. Everyone would have gone home by now. Only the ORC and the Student Council members would be left due to the duties that they do at night, something he's very familiar with doing.

As he walks to the school, he has had time to clear his head of some anger that clouded it. Did Rias reincarnate him out of desperation? She had seemed rather desperate, trying to break out of her engagement through losing her virginity.

No. He won't think about it any longer. He'll get the answers straight from Rias Gremory herself before he does anything rash. He stares at the ORC Building. There is one light on, as expected.

The moment he enters the ORC Clubroom, he can tell that Buchou isn't exactly in the best of conditions. Still, she looks up to him. She looks afraid, as if she's expecting him to say something that she didn't want to hear. He takes a deep breath to brace himself.

"Did you let Raynare kill me?" She shudders as if having heard the very thing she didn't want him to say.

"Yes." It's soft, but he picks it up. His shoulders sink, having learned the truth from Rias herself. Initially, it was anger that drove him to come here, but it is no longer anger that he feels.

It is hard to be angry at someone who looks like they've gone through hell or had a bad day. He isn't one to kick someone when they're already down either. Not only that, but it has also already happened, there's no point getting angry over it right now. What he feels, it is nothing more than disappointment. Disappointment that Rias Gremory didn't try to help him in any way when she could have done so.

"I'm sorry, Issei." It sounds fake. It sounds insincere. It sounds unremorseful. He can't accept such a half-hearted apology. There's only one reason why she would sound like that. He might be a pervert, but he isn't that dumb to miss the signs.

He shakes his head. "You have no idea where you went wrong, did you? What if it had been me sitting there, while you were the one standing in my position?"

She is silent as if pondering over his words. She makes no attempt to stop him as he closes the door behind him.

* * *

[So, what will you do now?] Issei does not answer Ddraig as he walks down the streets.

It's hard to describe how he feels now. He feels as if there's something weighing him down, as he slowly takes step by step, wandering with no destination in mind. Yes, he does feel disappointment and a bit of anger towards Rias Gremory, but there's also something else mixed into it that creates this blend of confusion. "I don't know." He finally confesses.

Rias Gremory has treated him kindly ever since he got reincarnated as a Devil, that much is certain. She hasn't treated him cruelly, nor punish him in any way yet. It appears to be the same for his fellow peerage members, or they wouldn't be happy or relaxed around her.

Part of him is still angry at Rias for letting him die just like that. Not even a hint or warning was given to him when he'd set out that day and was given the flyer that would eventually summon Rias Gremory when he was about to die. She could have at the very least try and give a warning to him via her familiar, right? It hurts to know that she actually just let him get played like a fool and she doesn't even show any remorse for it.

So, what will he do now? That line of thought is interrupted when a sword nearly bisects him.

* * *

 **A/N: I would have liked this chapter to be up before May ended, but I had to deal with several milestones in my projects and prep for internship so I couldn't exactly check up on this chapter and do any revisions.**

 **I left the reveal to Issei thing short, because I think it doesn't need it. It has enough impact as it stands, if I tried to add on, it would have ruined that part. Asia telling him is because Asia's the kind of person who will know that he will suffer but Issei still has to deal with it anyway. It's better to tackle problems sooner than later, in her perspective I guess.**

 **Anyways, I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter and leave a review if you guys think that there's room for improvement that you think is possible! Feel free to PM me if you want.** **On that note, peace out people!**

 **322n**


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